Representational Image.

DHAKA, July 2, 2025 (BSS) - The final recommendations of National Semiconductor Taskforce were formally presented to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, by Executive Chairman (State Minister) of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun on Tuesday at the Chief Adviser's Office. 

The National Semiconductor Taskforce, formed on January 1, 2025, under the guidance of the Chief Adviser's Office, comprises distinguished representatives and equal participation from the government, private sector, academia, and the non-resident Bangladeshi (NRB) community, said a press release today. 

The key deliverables of the taskforce included need-gap assessment and opportunity identification for Bangladesh and providing policy and capability building recommendations over short, medium and long terms. 

The taskforce assessed Bangladesh's ability to compete in different stages of the semiconductor value chain (design, fabrication, testing and packaging) and recommended that the country prioritize chip design and testing and packaging in the short to medium terms. 

Given the capital- and technology-intensive nature of fabrication, the taskforce advised that chip manufacturing be explored at a later stage, contingent on the progress made in the initial focus areas.

The taskforce outlined a set of targeted recommendations across three key pillars: skills development, business environment and policy support, and global partnerships, with a phased roadmap covering the short, medium, and long term

Short-term (2025-26) recommendations included: 

    Launch a virtual knowledge portal to host a tiered certification program based on a globally accepted and industry-backed curriculum.

    Establish industry-standard training labs in at least 5 public or private institutions by 2027.

    Set up shared, accessible & vendor-neutral clean rooms to house early-stage chip packaging and testing machines. 

    Introduce rotation-based on-site training programs for engineers to build practical expertise.

    Roll out certification and training programs through select universities and training institutes. 

    Implement targeted, time bound import facilitation & tax interventions governed by clear policy guardrails. 

    Creation of a dedicated "Semiconductor Fund" under the ICT Division or Bangladesh Bank to provide venture capital support or term-financing to new initiatives against clear criteria.

The long-term recommendations highlight the importance of leveraging Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) for both investment and training. It also recommended forging strategic government-to-government (G2G) partnerships to facilitate knowledge transfer and technical cooperation.

The Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus praised the taskforce's efforts and emphasised the significance of international collaboration and talent development to guarantee the roadmap's effective execution.    

"The roadmap offers Bangladesh a clear, feasible route to join the global chip design and testing scene," said Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun. 

"With focused interventions, this could be a turning point in transforming Bangladesh into a technology-driven economy" he added.

The 13-member taskforce includes notable figures such as Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, Shish Haider Chowdhury, Mohammed Enayetur Rahman, Istak Ahmmed, M.A. Jabbar, Prof. Dr. A. B. M. Harun-Ur-Rashid, Major General Md. Nasim Parvez, Prof. Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Aziz, Mr. Mashuk Rahman, Mustafiz Choudhury, Zahirul Alam, and Nahian Rahman Rochi.

As a next step, the Chief Adviser's office will set up dedicated working groups comprising relevant team members to drive the implementation of the taskforce recommendations. With global companies actively seeking to diversify their supply chains, Bangladesh's strategic focus on skills development, policy support, and international collaboration positions it as a credible and competitive emerging player in the global semiconductor landscape.