Fair Electronics to resume Samsung smartphone production in Bangladesh after 18-month hiatus

Samsung has resumed manufacturing operations in Bangladesh through Fair Electronics after an 18-month hiatus, with locally assembled Samsung smartphones expected to return to the market in January next year.

The restart of production is expected to provide fresh momentum to Bangladesh's electronics manufacturing sector. Samsung was the first global smartphone brand to assemble mobile phones locally in Bangladesh through Fair Electronics.

Samsung-branded refrigerators are already being produced at the company's factory in Shibpur, Narsingdi. Production of Samsung washing machines is scheduled to begin in September, while air conditioners, televisions and smartphones are expected to enter production in early 2027.

South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Kim Ji-Joon visited the factory today (22 July). He was accompanied by Samsung Bangladesh Managing Director Jungmin Jung and Fair Group Chairman Md Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub.

According to Fair Group, it became Samsung's official distributor in Bangladesh in 2014. The company established its local manufacturing facility in 2017 and launched the country's first locally assembled Samsung smartphone in 2018.

Fair Group has invested around Tk1,000 crore in its electronics manufacturing operations, including approximately Tk300 crore dedicated to smartphone production. The factory has an annual production capacity of 25 lakh mobile handsets.

Alongside Samsung products, Fair Group currently manufactures appliances under the Chinese brand Hisense. The company plans to produce around 1,50,000 refrigerators annually under the Samsung and Hisense brands by 2027. It currently manufactures between 40,000 and 50,000 Hisense refrigerators each year.

During a visit to the factory, journalists observed refrigerators being assembled on automated production lines, with all stages - from metal body fabrication and component assembly to foam insulation, compressor installation and final quality testing - carried out locally.

Mohammed Mesbah Uddin, chief marketing officer of Fair Group, told The Business Standard that Samsung smartphone production through Fair Electronics remained suspended from mid-2024 until the end of 2025 due to the difficult business environment following the sharp depreciation of the Bangladeshi taka in 2023.

"At that time, it became extremely difficult to continue business operations," he said.

Mesbah said the company had planned to restructure its operations in 2025, but the process did not progress as expected. With market conditions improving this year, Fair Electronics has resumed production.

He added that the transition from 4G to 5G devices required technological upgrades and the installation of new equipment, which also contributed to the delay in restarting smartphone production.

Although the factory has the capacity to produce 25 lakh handsets annually, the company does not expect to utilise its full capacity in the first year after production resumes.

Speaking to reporters after touring the factory, Ambassador Kim described Fair Electronics as a successful example of technology transfer, local manufacturing and industrial cooperation between Bangladesh and South Korea.

He said Bangladesh's large and hardworking workforce, combined with South Korean technology and investment, could position the country as a regional manufacturing hub for Korean companies.

Fair Group Chairman Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub urged the government to take stronger action against grey-market and unofficial mobile phone imports. He said a more supportive policy environment would accelerate local manufacturing, attract investment, increase government revenue and create new jobs.

Samsung Bangladesh Managing Director Jungmin Jung reaffirmed the company's long-term commitment to Bangladesh and said Samsung would continue expanding local manufacturing in partnership with Fair Electronics while maintaining the brand's global quality standards.