Semiconductors are the heart of modern technology. Mobile phones, computers, cars, household appliances and medical equipment all depend on chips. The global market has exceeded hundreds of billions of dollars, and semiconductors underpin electronics, artificial intelligence and the global economy.
Taiwan leads advanced chips and foundry manufacturing; the United States leads chip design, AI processors and high-tech research; South Korea leads memory chips through Samsung and SK Hynix. China is expanding mature-node production and packaging, while Japan leads in raw materials and equipment.
India has emerged as a fast-growing centre for chip design and new fabrication and packaging. A $9 billion programme launched in 2021 has begun building capacity. A $10.9 billion fabrication plant is under construction in Gujarat through a Tata Group-PSMC venture, while Micron Technology, Kaynes Semicon and CG Power are developing units. Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Noida host chip-design and research activity involving Intel, Qualcomm and other multinationals.
Bangladesh mainly works in fabless chip design, verification and embedded systems. It imports silicon wafers and chemicals and lacks industry-ready workers, modern laboratories, testing infrastructure and the capital needed for fabrication. Graduate numbers are high, but few are tape-out-ready engineers; advanced microelectronics and VLSI research, trainers, certification institutes, clean rooms and packaging labs are limited. High-tech parks lack reliable power, fast internet and specialised facilities, while customs delays, weak supply chains, investment constraints and global competition remain challenges.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said semiconductors could be Bangladesh’s next major economic opportunity after garments and a future foreign-exchange earner. A two-day National Semiconductor Symposium and BEAR Summit-2026 was held in July. He said the global market could reach about $1 trillion by 2026, the sector should be treated as a national mission, and the government had begun creating a business-friendly environment. The current budget imposes a 1% duty on necessary raw materials and plans cash incentives for exports of semiconductor design services; he expressed hope of meeting export targets by 2030.
The government calls semiconductors a national priority requiring joint work by government, universities, research institutions, industry, entrepreneurs and expatriate experts. Purdue University professor Mohammad Mostafa Hossain said 1,200 engineers work in design, packaging and embedded systems at 21 Bangladeshi companies, while more than 3,000 Bangladeshis work in the US semiconductor sector. Ten Bangladeshi investors will join next January’s Las Vegas show under the Bangladesh Innovex name.
The budget has allocated Tk500 crore a year in startup grants for young entrepreneurs. The government plans bonded facilities, specialised infrastructure, modernised high-tech parks and a new biotech park. Speakers said talent, young skills, partnerships, research and investment could move Bangladesh’s technology sector forward.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report