Bangladesh’s discarded electronic goods have grown into an estimated Tk6,000 crore annual trading market, yet the country continues to lose around Tk6,114 crore ($500 million) each year due to weak governance, poor enforcement, and the overwhelming dominance of informal recycling, experts and researchers said.
Driven by discarded mobile phones, computers, home appliances, batteries, and digital devices, the country’s rapidly expanding e-waste economy presents both a major commercial opportunity and a mounting environmental threat—one that Bangladesh has yet to manage in a structured and climate-resilient manner.
According to the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Importers’ Association (BMPIA), around 35 million mobile phone sets are sold annually in the country, with an average life cycle of two to four years. As a result, nearly 30 million mobile phones turn into e-waste each year.
Industry stakeholders estimate that trading in obsolete or defective electronic equipment—including mobile phones, laptops, refrigerators, televisions, printers, and air conditioners—amounts to about Tk500 crore per month, although much of this trade remains outside official monitoring and documentation systems.
Despite being treated as scrap, e-waste contains valuable materials such as copper, bronze, zinc, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, and recyclable plastics. Experts say recovering these materials domestically could significantly reduce Bangladesh’s dependence on imports.
At the same time, unused or damaged electronic devices contain hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants. When handled improperly, these toxins contaminate soil and water bodies and enter crops and the food chain, posing serious environmental and public health risks.
At a policy dialogue with stakeholders in October, experts revealed that Bangladesh generates around 367 million kilograms of e-waste annually, with output growing at nearly 30 percent per year. One-third of this waste now comes from smart devices, reflecting the country’s rapidly expanding digital consumption.
A separate study released last October showed that Bangladesh sells electronic goods worth Tk16,630 crore ($1.36 billion) annually while generating approximately 2.81 million tons of e-waste, highlighting a widening gap between consumption and sustainable disposal.
A recent study by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) paints a stark picture of the sector: 97% of the country’s e-waste is processed through informal channels, while only 3% reaches formal recycling facilities.
The research found that despite the enactment of the Hazardous Waste (e-waste) Management Rules 2021, governance remains largely “on paper.” Informal traders continue to dismantle electronic products using unsafe methods, exposing workers—particularly women, who are disproportionately involved in collection and sorting—to toxic substances.
TIB also found that 88% of consumers are unaware of proper e-waste disposal methods, while 72% keep defunct electronic devices at home, often in unsafe conditions.
Despite an official ban, around 15,000 tons of e-waste worth Tk8.56 crore ($700,000) were imported irregularly over the past three years, while 4,040 tons were exported, often in violation of the Basel Convention’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) system, the study said.
Informal traders are also accused of exporting printed circuit boards (PCBs) and integrated circuits (ICs) abroad, depriving Bangladesh of potential value addition while increasing environmental risks.
According to Akter Ul Alam, general secretary of WEEE Society Bangladesh, the country generates an average of 2.2 kilograms of e-waste per person each year, with a recoverable value exceeding Tk6,114 crore ($500 million) if recycled fully through certified channels.
“Instead, unsafe informal processing is polluting soil, water, and air, creating serious public health risks,” Alam said at a recent discussion in Dhaka.
Sumon Ahmed Sabir, president of WEEE Society, said the weakest link in the system remains collection. “Valuable components are often exported, allowing foreign companies to profit, while Bangladesh gains very little,” he said.
Saidur Rahman Shahin, managing director of Azizu Recycling and E-Waste Company Ltd, said formal recyclers receive less than 20 percent of obsolete mobile phones discarded each year.
“Most users either repair phones repeatedly or keep them at home. As a result, recycling plants do not receive the supply volume the market actually generates,” Shahin said.
He explained that mobile phones are dismantled into plastics, metals, and ICs. Plastics are sold as industrial chips, while metals yield copper, bronze, zinc, and silver—and, in higher-grade circuit boards, gold, platinum, palladium, and rhodium.
TIB’s research identified major shortcomings in the Hazardous Waste (e-waste) Management Rules 2021, including limited scope and unrealistic provisions, lack of stakeholder consultation, weak inter-agency coordination, and the absence of reliable data and technical guidelines.
Key agencies—including the Ministry of Environment, the Department of Environment (DoE), customs authorities, and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC)—have failed to prioritize e-waste management, the report said.
Although 14 institutions are registered with BTRC, about half reportedly operate without DoE registration, reflecting regulatory disorder.
Emerging sectors are further worsening the crisis. TIB estimates that 5.5 million tonnes of e-waste will be generated from solar panels between 2025 and 2060. Meanwhile, 16,724 electric vehicles imported over the past three fiscal years currently have no clear battery disposal framework.
The fate of electronic voting machines (EVMs) purchased by the Election Commission during the previous government has also emerged as a major unresolved e-waste risk.
Industry representatives say regulatory approvals alone are insufficient. Without enforcement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), take-back obligations, and financial incentives, licensed recyclers remain commercially constrained.
M A Hassan Jewel of JR Recycling Solution said this reflects the broader state of governance in the sector. “This is the picture of Bangladesh’s e-waste governance—where policy exists largely on paper while enforcement remains weak,” he said.
Jewel added that routine neglect of environmental regulations by both government agencies and major manufacturers signals a systemic failure rather than isolated lapses. He also warned against a culture of box-ticking compliance, where companies pursue environmental certifications only to meet financing requirements rather than to ensure worker safety or ecological protection.
Nak Huda, director of Bhangariwala Inc, summarized the challenge succinctly. “Bangladesh’s e-waste market is commercially strong but structurally weak. Without organized collection, EPR enforcement, and accountability, a billion-taka opportunity will remain an environmental liability,” he said.
Experts agree that mass awareness—particularly among households and corporate users—is critical. Without urgent behavioral change and serious governance reforms, they warn Bangladesh risks turning its rapidly growing e-waste stream into a long-term public health and environmental disaster.
As TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman cautioned that, unless institutional weaknesses are addressed immediately, “this toxic waste will invite an unstoppable disaster for public health and the environment.”
