Govt identifies roadmap with 3 priority areas for semiconductor industry: BIDA chief

The National Semiconductor Taskforce has identified a roadmap with three priority areas for the development of the semiconductor industry, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said today (3 July).

Speaking at a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, Ashik Chowdhury said the three priority areas are skills development, business environment and policy support, and global linkages and collaborations.

"The taskforce assessed Bangladesh's ability to compete in various stages of the semiconductor value chain—design, fabrication, testing, and packaging—and recommended that the country prioritise chip design and testing and packaging in the short to medium term," he said.

Ashik Chowdhury, who also serves as the convener of the taskforce, noted that given the capital- and technology-intensive nature of chip fabrication, the taskforce advised that manufacturing be explored at a later stage, depending on the progress made in the initial focus areas.

"The taskforce has outlined a set of targeted recommendations across the three key pillars accompanied by a phased roadmap covering the short, medium, and long term," he added.

The taskforce recommended setting up industry-standard training labs equipped with appropriate EDA tools in at least five selected public or private institutions by 2027.

It also proposed a rotation-based on-site training calendar for selected industry players and universities to facilitate hands-on training in the use of packaging and testing machines.

To build a robust talent pipeline, the taskforce urged the government to conduct national-level outreach programmes, hackathons, and innovation challenges targeting universities and startups.

He added that universities and training institutes should periodically revise certification and training modules to align with evolving areas of the industry, such as processors, AI accelerators, and signal processing.

Selected universities will offer MSc, PhD, and postgraduate diploma programmes in semiconductor-related fields, he said.

To boost the sector further, Ashik Chowdhury said the taskforce recommended progressive tax exemptions for up to 10 years, under specified guidelines, for R&D, assembly, and packaging factories in Bangladesh.

The taskforce also proposed the establishment of a "semiconductor fund" under the ICT Division or Bangladesh Bank, modeled on the startup ecosystem, to provide venture capital support or term financing to qualified initiatives.

Ashik Chowdhury noted that semiconductors have been identified as a priority sector in the National Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Heatmap exercise conducted by BIDA. The sector has been classified as one requiring focused policy and capacity support to unlock its long-term potential.

He said the semiconductor industry presents Bangladesh with a unique opportunity to transition into a high-value, high-growth sector and establish a credible presence in the global technology ecosystem.

"As an immediate priority, it is recommended that Bangladesh leverage its abundant engineering talent and the expertise of non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) to focus on chip design and testing. As global companies seek to diversify their sourcing destinations, the proposed interventions in skills development, policy support, and global partnerships will help position Bangladesh as a competitive and emerging player in the sector," he added.

Prof Dr ABM Harun-ur-Rashid, head of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and Ulks CEO Mohammed Enayetur Rahman also spoke at the event.

Prof Harun-ur-Rashid said the taskforce has recommended creating a virtual knowledge portal to launch a tiered certification programme (levels 1–3) with a globally accepted, industry-aligned curriculum.

"A combination of online courses and in-person instruction will be offered through selected public and private universities, enabling a quicker supply of design engineers to the market," he said.

He emphasized encouraging selected universities to introduce advanced courses for students to pursue specialisations, particularly in the senior year of undergraduate programmes.

The taskforce also proposed implementing complementary modules in targeted training institutes offering internationally recognized certifications.

"For example, 12-week training modules on topics such as Register Transfer Level (RTL), Synthesis, Design for Testability (DFT), and Static Timing Analysis (STA)," he noted.

The taskforce also stressed the importance of strengthening faculty development and curriculum updates through international collaboration, exchange programmes, and engagement with experienced NRB academics.