Bangladesh’s export sector staged a sharp rebound in April, recording a 33 per cent year-on-year surge, offering early signs of recovery after months of persistent decline, even as global uncertainty linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to cloud the outlook.
According to the latest data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) on Sunday, the country earned nearly $4 billion in export revenue in April, marking a strong uptick compared to the same month last year.
The rebound comes after several months of negative growth trends that had raised concerns over weakening external demand and domestic production constraints.
However, despite the monthly recovery, the broader export performance remains subdued. In the first ten months (July�"April) of the current fiscal year, total exports stood at $39.4 billion, reflecting a 2 per cent decline year-on-year, indicating that the sector has yet to fully regain momentum.
EPB officials noted that export performance had been under sustained pressure since the early months of the fiscal year, making April’s sharp turnaround a welcome but partial recovery signal rather than a structural shift.
The ready-made garment (RMG) sector, which remains the backbone of Bangladesh’s export economy, showed notable improvement in April after earlier weakness.
RMG exports earned $3.14 billion in April, representing a 31.21 per cent increase compared to the same month last year, suggesting renewed orders from key international markets.
Yet, the broader picture for the sector remains mixed. During July�"April, RMG exports totalled $31.72 billion, down 2.82 per cent year-on-year, reflecting earlier demand contraction and production bottlenecks.
Other sectors also showed uneven performance.
The leather and leather goods industry continued its steady growth trajectory, earning $980 million in the July�"April period, up 5.95 per cent year-on-year. In April alone, exports reached $110 million, marking a robust 35.67 per cent growth, signalling strengthening demand in select markets.
The agro-processed products sector, however, remained under pressure overall. Exports in this segment fell 4.69 per cent to $820 million during July�"April. Despite this decline, April saw a sharp rebound, with exports rising to $85.9 million, registering a striking 65 per cent year-on-year increase, suggesting volatility rather than sustained recovery.
Industry analysts attribute the mixed performance to a combination of external and domestic challenges. They point to reduced purchase orders from global buyers amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, alongside persistent domestic energy constraints.
Gas and electricity shortages, they say, continue to disrupt production schedules and limit capacity utilisation across key manufacturing units, particularly in export-oriented industries.
While April’s strong growth offers a degree of optimism, experts caution that it may reflect short-term order recovery rather than a sustained upward trend.
“External demand remains uncertain, and domestic production constraints are still significant,” analysts observed, adding that the durability of the rebound will depend on stability in global trade conditions and uninterrupted industrial energy supply in the coming months.
For now, April’s export performance provides a much-needed boost to sentiment, but the underlying structural pressures suggest that the road to a full recovery remains uneven.
