Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is the only National Export Promotion Organization under the Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh. The Bureau is operated under the Board of Directors headed by the Honorable Minister for Commerce, the ex-officio Chairman of the Board. Vice-Chairman is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and is accountable to the Board of Directors for his activities. Export Promotion Bureau is entrusted with the responsibility to promote the export of Bangladesh. Bureau undertakes product and market diversification activities in line with government vision and perspective plan. EPB is mainly responsible for the following activities:
EPB is mainly responsible for following activities :
- Formulation of the draft Export Policy with the consultation of the private sector and take necessary initiatives to implement the policy.
- Exploration of new markets abroad for exportable of Bangladesh.
- Carrying out the activities of product development and diversification.
- Organizing participation of Bangladesh in the international trade fairs abroad.
- Sending trade delegation as part of market expansion actives.
- Coordination and monitoring of national export performance and progress.
- Human Resource Development through organizing National Export Training Program (NETP).
- Conducting studies, surveys, research, etc. on products and markets.
- Maintain close liaison with the trade promotion organization of the world to strengthen the institutional capacity of EPB.
As a Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), EPB works closely with the trade promotion organization of the world to develop its capacity. EPB has been maintaining very good relations with TPO such as JICA, JETRO, MATRADE HKTDC, KOICA, TFOC (Trade Facilitation Office Canada), and CBI (Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries) for a long time.
Under its market diversification initiatives, EPB participates in the International Trade Fairs across the globe with the potential exporters of different sectors of Bangladesh to explore a new export destination. EPB also organizes single country trade fairs in the different potential countries of the world for creating a market for the exportable. As the ongoing pandemic put obstacles for participating in the international trade fairs in person or holding any sourcing international fairs at home physically, EPB has taken the opportunity to organize a virtual sourcing international fair titled "Sourcing Bangladesh-2021, Virtual Edition to give a platform to the exporters of Bangladesh to meet the potential foreign buyers virtually sitting at their offices.
Present EPB offices
- EPB is now functioning with its Head office located at Dhaka.
- Regional Offices:
- Chittagong
- Khulna
- Rajshahi
- Branch Offices:
- Sylhet
- Comilla
- Narayangonj
- Previously it had an overseas office at Milan, Italy which was closed in June, 1993.
- Total number of officers: 48
- Total number of staff members: 191
TIPU MUNSHI, MP
Honorable Minister, Ministry of Commerce
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Veteran Freedom Fighter Mr. Tipu Munshi, MP, was born on 25 August 1950. His father Ramjan Ali Munshi was also a Freedom Fighter and his mother was Ratnamoyi Munshi. He took part in the great Liberation War with his father at the age of 21.
He was elected secretary of planning and finance of the Bangladesh Awami League central executive committee in 2017.
Mr. Tipu Munshi was elected a Member of Parliament from Rangpur-4 constituency in 2014 in the 11th parliamentary election for the third time. Tipu Munshi took oath as Minister of Commerce in the cabinet of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 7 January 2019.
As an established businessman, Mr. Tipu Munshi served as chairman of BGMEA from 2005 to 2006. Currently, he is serving as the Chairman of the joint forum of the Garment's Owners. He is involved in different social and cultural activities and has established many philanthropic organizations.
TAPAN KANTI GHOSH
Secretary, Ministry of Commerce
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Mr. Tapan Kanti Ghosh joined the Ministry of Commerce on June 3, 2021. Before joining the current post, he was assigned as secretary of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs since July 7, 2020. He was promoted to the rank of Secretary on 5 December 2019. Prior to joining the current post, he served as the Chairman of the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission.
In his career, Mr. Tapan Kanti Ghosh served in various districts as Assistant Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner (Land), First Class Magistrate, Upazila Executive Officer, and Additional Deputy Commissioner. He later served as the Project Director of the "Integrated Community Development Project" under the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board for more than three years.
From 2011 to 2016, he served as the Commercial Counselor and Minister (Commerce) at the Bangladesh Embassy in Brussels, Belgium. In addition to working to improve bilateral trade and economic relations with Belgium and Luxemburg, he also looked after the issues on the economic interest of Bangladesh with the European Commission and the European Parliament.
A.H.M. AHASAN
Vice-Chairman, Export Promotion Bureau
(Chief Executive Officer)
Mr. A.H.M. Ahsan is the Vice Chairman and CEO of the Export Promotion Bureau. Before assuming the position on 1 March 2020, he had been serving in the Ministry of Commerce as an Additional Secretary.
Mr. Ahsan belongs to the 9th batch of Bangladesh Civil Service (Taxation). After joining the civil service in January 1991, he served the Department of Taxes in different capacities – as Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Joint Commissioner in various Taxes Zone, and as Second Secretary and First Secretary in the National Board of Revenue.
He was promoted to the post of Deputy Secretary in 2009 and joined the Foreign Trade Agreement (FTA) Wing of the Ministry of Commerce in 2012. He also served as Joint Secretary (FTA) in the same Ministry where he was responsible for trade negotiation, bilateral (South Asia) trade issues, and regional trade agreement and cooperation. He also worked as Commercial Counselor at Bangladesh High Commission, London.
Mr. Ahsan has extensive experience in trade promotion, trade talks, and trade negotiation. He has attended many Trade Ministers' Conferences, bilateral Commerce Secretary level meetings, working group meetings, bilateral and regional trade agreement negotiations as a member of the Bangladesh Delegation and as an expert at home and abroad. He also attended many high-level conferences, seminars, and workshops on international trade and economic development in various countries.
Apart from local training on taxation, administration, management, and public policy, Mr. Ahsan also attended many training programs abroad which include "Regional Integration: the ASEAN Experience" in AIT, Thailand; "Public Procurement" in ITC-ILO, Italy; "Promoting Trade-in Services in South Asian Countries", organized by WTO Regional Center in Nepal; "FTA Negotiation" & "Foreign Direct Investment Management" in China; "Facilitating Trade and Investment in Indian Ocean-rim Region" in Japan; "Leadership in Administration" at National Institute of Public Administration, Malaysia; "Accountability in Government and Business" at US Department of States, Washington; "Trade & Investment Promotion in Asia" in Japan, etc.