Bangladesh’s export performance in the first quarter of FY27 offers a welcome sign of resilience, especially at a time when the economy continues to face a range of challenges.
According to reports, merchandise exports rose by 6.34% year-on-year to $13.09 billion between July and September, while September alone recorded an 8.54% growth.
The continued strength of the readymade garment sector is also particularly encouraging. RMG exports grew 6.10% during the quarter to $10.58b, with both knitwear and woven garments recording solid growth.
This remains an important source of foreign exchange and employment, and its performance demonstrates the continued competitiveness of Bangladeshi exporters in global markets.
More encouraging still is the performance of several non-RMG sectors. Pharmaceutical exports grew 40.39%, while jute and jute goods rose 31.55%, leather and leather products 14.74%, and light engineering 16.51%.
These figures are proof that Bangladesh has considerable potential beyond its traditional dependence on garments.
However, this progress should be treated as an opportunity to build on rather than a reason for complacency. Agricultural products and frozen and live fish recorded negative growth, showing that important areas of the export basket still require attention.
Greater diversification will be essential if Bangladesh is to make its export earnings more resilient to changes in global demand.
The government must therefore focus on removing the structural obstacles that continue to affect exporters, including energy shortages, high production costs, logistical bottlenecks, and bureaucratic delays.
Support for product upgrading, market expansion, and trade facilitation must translate into practical measures that businesses can actually benefit from.
The latest figures are undoubtedly positive: They reflect the efforts of exporters and workers and the continued demand for Bangladeshi products.
Now, the priority should be to sustain this momentum, strengthen emerging sectors, and open more markets so that export growth becomes broader, more stable, and capable of supporting Bangladesh’s long-term economic ambitions.