PM Tarique Rahman Opens Bangladesh Innovation Fair
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for linking local innovations with commercial production and markets instead of keeping them confined to laboratories and experimental stages.
He made the call while inaugurating the three-day ‘Bangladesh Innovation Fair-2026’ under the theme ‘Innovate to Market’ at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre in Bijoy Sarani, Dhaka, on Saturday (September 12).
Organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the fair is being held from September 12 to 14. It focuses on building effective partnerships among innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, educational institutions, financial institutions and policymakers.
Government and private research organisations, 73 public and private universities, independent researchers, students, startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and global investors are participating in the fair. More than 1,000 innovations from various sectors, including technology, business, education, healthcare, agriculture and the environment, are being showcased.
The organisers said many promising technologies and ideas are being developed at the grassroots level, but a large portion of them fail to reach the commercial stage due to a lack of policy support, funding and institutional cooperation. Protecting intellectual property, creating investment opportunities and connecting innovations with industries and markets are among the key objectives of the fair.
On the second day of the fair, Sunday, a special international session titled ‘Health Innovation for All: Expanding Access to Affordable and Inclusive Healthcare’ will be held. The session will discuss the use of technology and innovation to provide quality healthcare at affordable costs to marginalised communities. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, will attend the session as the chief guest.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR), Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) and Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) are strategic partners of the fair. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the technical partner.
The organisers hope the fair will increase direct communication between innovators and researchers and industries and investors. At the same time, it will help facilitate the process of taking local innovations from laboratories to production and markets.
