Eco-Industrial Parks light touch activities was launched in Bangladesh on Wednesday, says a press release.
The inception workshop, held at the Sheraton Hotel Dhaka, brought together senior government officials, development partners, industry leaders, and technical experts to explore pathways for environmentally responsible industrial development.
Organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in collaboration with the Ministry of Industries and supported by the Government of Switzerland through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, the initiative is part of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme.
Bangladesh is among the first five countries selected to pilot the 鈥榣ight touch鈥� approach alongside Cambodia, Moldova, Morocco, and Tanzania.
The programme aims to promote circular economy principles in industrial development, focusing on resource efficiency, waste minimisation, and improved environmental and social performance. Under the light touch approach, activities will include policy gap assessments, institutional capacity building, benchmarking of industrial parks, and the promotion of eco-industrial concepts in selected zones.
Presiding over the event as chief guest, Md Obaidur Rahman, Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, emphasised the government鈥檚 vision to transform Bangladesh鈥檚 industrial sector into a competitive, innovation-driven, and sustainable engine of growth.
鈥楨co-Industrial Parks stand at the intersection of our national aspirations鈥攚here economic growth meets environmental responsibility, where every enterprise and region can thrive,鈥� said Rahman.
鈥楢s we prepare for LDC graduation and look ahead to 2041, the adoption of EIP principles will be key to enhancing competitiveness, ensuring compliance with global ESG standards, and achieving inclusive growth.鈥�
Special guests included Saiful Islam, chairman of BSCIC, and Ashraful Kabir, Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA, both of whom reaffirmed their institutions鈥� commitment to integrating sustainability within Bangladesh鈥檚 industrial zones.
The workshop highlighted BSCIC鈥檚 ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure and services across 80+ industrial estates, and BEPZA鈥檚 progress in green building certification, renewable energy adoption, and wastewater treatment within its Export Processing Zones. Discussions focused on identifying low-cost, high-impact interventions to accelerate the shift toward resource-efficient and climate-resilient industrial ecosystems.
Representing the Swiss Government, Corinne Henchoz Pignani, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, reaffirmed Switzerland鈥檚 strong commitment to sustainable development partnerships.
鈥楽witzerland is proud to support Bangladesh in this pivotal transition toward greener industry. Through our collaboration with UNIDO and the Ministry of Industries, we aim to foster inclusive growth, promote innovation, and help unlock the potential of industrial zones to lead by example in climate action and responsible business conduct.鈥�
Delivering the keynote, Professor A K Enamul Haque, Director General of BIDS, underscored the economic case for eco-industrial development and the opportunity to position Bangladesh as a leader in sustainable manufacturing in South Asia.
Zaki Uz Zaman,聽 UNIDO Bangladesh Country Representative, emphasised the strategic importance of the initiative in Bangladesh鈥檚 sustainability journey.
鈥楾his project is more than a pilot, it is a vision for how Bangladesh can industrialize without compromising its environment. By embracing resource efficiency and circularity into the heart of our industrial strategy, we not only prepare for a just transition, but also create the conditions for long-term resilience, competitiveness, and inclusive growth.鈥�
Also present at the event were Rana Pratap Singh, Project Manager, and Salil Dutt, Chief Technical Advisor, from UNIDO Headquarters, Vienna.
Their participation highlighted UNIDO鈥檚 global commitment to fostering sustainable industrial development through knowledge-sharing, technical expertise, and policy engagement.
The Light Touch Activities will be implemented across ten industrial zones under BSCIC and BEPZA and aim to inform the development of a broader implementation project based on the lessons learned.
The initiative aligns with Bangladesh鈥檚 national targets under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and supports the country鈥檚 preparedness for post-LDC graduation compliance on ESG and responsible business conduct.
As the workshop concluded, participants called for sustained collaboration between the public and private sectors to make eco-industrial parks a national standard and reaffirmed their collective commitment to shaping a smarter, greener industrial future for Bangladesh.
