Media Release

Taskforce formed for developing Bangladesh’s semiconductor sector, focusing on testing and assembly

Dec 18, 2024

A high-level task force on the semiconductor sector will work with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) to develop a roadmap for sectoral growth, focusing on testing, assembly, and scaling up chip design capabilities.

The decision was adopted in a stakeholder meeting titled “Semiconductors – A New Frontier for the Bangladesh Economy and Employment,” chaired by M Siraz Uddin Miah, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser at BIDA Headquarters on, Wednesday.

“We are forming a taskforce with representatives from industry, academia, the diaspora, and government to identify barriers and recommend actionable solutions. I urge stakeholders to leverage BIDA as a one-stop platform to align government policies and priorities,” said M Siraz Uddin Miah.

Mashuque Rahman, Founder of Green Quest, delivered the keynote presentation, highlighting priority areas within the semiconductor value chain and recommendations for growth.

“Bangladesh currently generates approximately $6 million annually from semiconductor activities, primarily through integrated circuit design services. However, the downstream stages of packaging, assembly, and testing offer immediate opportunities for expansion. Based on today’s discussions, our next steps will focus on policy development, promotion, and capacity building,” said Ashik Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of BIDA and BEZA.

“Besides updating our university curricula, we have to enhance our style of teaching and make sure our students are taking the knowledge home. We are willing to engage further with university students to help them understand the job description,” said Mohammed Enayetur Rahman, Founder and CEO of ULKASEMI, a Silicon Valley-based semiconductor design services company.

Key recommendations included ensuring intellectual property (IP) protections, introducing semiconductor-focused courses in select universities, introducing shared training facilities and engaging non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) for global promotion etc. High-level participants included ICT Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) Commandant Maj Gen Md. Nasim Parvez, and representatives from PrimeSilicon Technology, Tahoe Communications, Neural Semiconductors Limited, Haison International Limited, Integrated Development Foundation (IDF), BRAC University, and Southeast University.