Bangladesh is courting US medical device makers for local assembly and technology transfer, backed by a national healthcare budget of roughly Tk 70,000 crore. The push aims to draw multinational manufacturers deeper into domestic supply chains rather than relying purely on direct imports.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare MA Muhit presented the proposal during an industry roundtable in Dhaka organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh in October 2026. AmCham President Syed Mohammad Kamal highlighted over $5 billion in existing investments and pledged to facilitate another $5 billion over the next five years.

Government officials want overseas suppliers to set up local assembly plants, train Bangladeshi engineers, and support equipment across its entire lifecycle. The initiative targets technical institutions including Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and the University of Dhaka to build domestic servicing capacity.

Dhaka is also preparing a national digital monitoring dashboard and e-health system to track how state hospitals use medical machinery. Muhit told company executives that procurement must shift toward transparent contracts and structured after-sales support.

Multinational executives at the meeting pressed the government to remove persistent administrative bottlenecks at the Directorate General of Drug Administration. Lengthy approval cycles and import frictions continue to delay shipments of critical hospital equipment and replacement parts.

AmCham submitted five specific policy demands to streamline market access. 5 percent value-added tax.

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