Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has called for eco-friendly production, workers’ rights protection and digital traceability from production to export to strengthen Bangladesh’s position in the international premium shrimp market.
Although Bangladesh has more land under shrimp cultivation than neighbouring India, it lags behind in exports, he said, stressing the need to improve productivity and quality while ensuring responsible business practices at every stage of the supply chain.
The minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a high-level dialogue on the shrimp sector at a city hotel on Thursday evening.
The dialogue was jointly organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) and TotalFood Processing (Pvt) Ltd, a member company of the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA).
Highlighting the shrimp sector’s potential to diversify exports, Muktadir said Bangladesh’s exports of frozen fish and shrimp rose 19 percent last year to nearly $300 million.
However, he said the sector has much greater potential for growth.
India exported more than $5 billion worth of shrimp in 2024-25. Despite having around 42 percent more land under shrimp cultivation than India, Bangladesh remains behind in exports, a gap the minister said should be viewed as a major opportunity to improve productivity and quality.
Emphasising transparency in production to expand access to international markets, he said buyers now assess not only product quality but also who produces the goods, workers’ working conditions and whether production meets environmental standards.
Muktadir said Bangladesh needs to move beyond paper-based documentation and establish an integrated and transparent digital traceability system.
He said the Ministry of Commerce has already formed a Responsible Business Conduct Cell. “Work is also underway to formulate a national policy on responsible business conduct, including labour rights, and a traceability strategy.”
Describing the European Union as Bangladesh’s largest market for shrimp, the minister said the government is committed to various reforms to deepen bilateral trade relations, including through a free trade agreement (FTA).
Highlighting the shrimp industry’s importance to coastal livelihoods and the economy, he said ensuring the fair rights and protection of everyone involved in the supply chain, including farmers, depot workers, processing plant workers and exporters, was a government priority.
Michal Krejza, head of the Development Cooperation unit at the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, spoke as a special guest, while ILO Bangladesh Country Director Max Tunon delivered the closing remarks.
Speakers said coordinated efforts by the government, development partners and the private sector could play an important role in establishing Bangladeshi shrimp as a responsible, eco-friendly and sustainable premium brand in international markets.