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Experts called for prioritising eco-industrial parks in Bangladesh and addressing a national framework to ensure sustainable growth.

They also said that the industrialisation in Bangladesh is increasingly constrained by river pollution, air quality deterioration, and untreated waste and the industrialisation has so far relied heavily on cost competitiveness rather than environmental resilience.

They warned that without systemic reforms, industrial growth would soon hit ecological and economic limits.

They were speaking at a high-level stakeholder consultation on Tuesday at a city hotel, organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in partnership with Research and Policy Integration for Development.

The event was organised under the pilot initiative of Eco-Industrial Parks Light Touch Activities in Bangladesh, part of UNIDO’s Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme, to explore the policy pathways for advancing Eco-Industrial Parks in Bangladesh.

According to a press release, the emergence of EIPs offers a vital opportunity to reshape this model, as EIPs provide a structured framework to reverse these trends by embedding resource efficiency, circular economy practices, renewable energy, and industrial symbiosis, where one firm’s waste becomes another’s input.

Speaking at the event, UNIDO Bangladesh country representative Zaki Uz Zaman said that Bangladesh must prioritise eco-industrial parks with a strong focus on resource optimisation and industrial symbiosis.’

‘This would require an integrated policy framework and enhanced capacities across government and the private sector,’ he added.

With support from partners such as the World Bank, IFC, and ADB, and with greater involvement from international financial institutions, Bangladesh could replicate successful models such as Vietnam and move towards a more sustainable industrial future, he added.

At the event, speakers also stressed the need for a coherent national EIP framework with a clear legal definition and minimum sustainability standards, incorporating criteria on energy, water, waste, emissions, and social safeguards into park licensing processes across industrial zones.

The consultation brought together policymakers, industry representatives, and development partners to discuss policy gaps, practical tools and pilot opportunities to promote resource-efficient and sustainable industrial growth in the country, they also said.

Bangladesh Thai Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Shams Mahmud said that Eco-Industrial Parks provide a way forward by embedding resource efficiency, renewable energy use, and industrial symbiosis, where one company’s waste becomes another’s input.

‘This approach could help Bangladesh to attract ESG-driven investment and meet emerging global sustainability standards,’ he added.

Shams Mahmud, also former director of the BGMEA, said that with Bangladesh’s upcoming LDC graduation, the need for comprehensive energy audits and accurate quantification — particularly for industries catering to the EU — have become a critical priority.

Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation deputy general manager GM Rabbani Talukder said incentives for businesses must be highlighted in all policies.

‘We need a comprehensive guideline and policy framework for EIPs and issues surrounding compliance with environmental standards,’ he added.

Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority director Md Tareq Hossain said there is currently a huge policy gap regarding these issues and that policies favouring eco-industrial parks are necessary to protect both businesses and the economy.