From the screens of freelance video editors to the studios of local musicians and craft artisans, a new economic powerhouse is quietly taking shape in Bangladesh: the “creative economy.”
Also globally recognised as the “orange economy”, this vibrant sector encompasses everything from design, drama, and film to video games and digital content creation.
Yet, despite its rapid domestic growth, it has historically remained on the periphery of national policy attention.
The concept was first presented in detail in the 2013 book The Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity by Felipe Buitrago and Iván Duque, highlighting a vast range of creative industries from art, crafts, and film to fashion, music, cultural heritage, and video games. Simply put, when human creativity and cultural talent are leveraged as tools for economic production and employment, they become part of the creative economy.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Economic Census 2024, employment in the industry, entertainment, and leisure sector surged from 33,441 in 2013 to 1,12,829 in 2024, representing a 237 per cent increase in just over a decade.
This growth has occurred without any specific government policy support, which stands as a testament to the inherent potential of the sector.
The economic impact is further highlighted by its gross domestic product contribution in the 2024-25 fiscal year, which reached Tk9,193 crore, marking a 15.4 per cent rise from the previous fiscal year.
This growth rate significantly outpaces the national average nominal GDP growth rate of 10.2 per cent. However, despite this rapid expansion, its share in the overall Tk55 lakh crore economy remains small at just 0.17 per cent.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury was the first to announce that the creative economy would receive formal recognition, sharing the vision during a pre-budget discussion with leaders of the Economic Reporters Forum on 25 April.
The finance minister is set to announce major policy support and tax breaks focusing specifically on the creative economy, information, and culture sectors.
Under these new key tax incentives, income earned from digital content creation will be made completely tax-free.
Furthermore, a proposal has been made to expand tax exemptions on all types of income for freelancers, aimed at increasing the flow of revenue through legitimate banking channels, whilst additional initiatives have been taken to extend the VAT exemption period for the startup sector until 2035.
To lower technology and production costs in the culture and film sectors, significant reductions in import duties are coming. The existing 15 per cent duty on the import of high-tech cinematographic cameras and related components will be slashed to 5 per cent, and the duty on spare parts for cinematographic cameras and projectors will be reduced at the same rate.
As part of a broader effort to support the music and creative industries, the existing 5 per cent regulatory duty on the import of various musical instruments and their parts, including guitars, pianos, and violins, is proposed to be completely withdrawn to make essential materials affordable for new artists and producers.
The sports, culture, theatre, cinema, and music sectors are finally being prioritised as integral parts of the economy, having been neglected in principle until now.
Looking ahead, the ruling party BNP’s election manifesto includes several specific commitments to develop the creative economy, such as increasing the creative sector’s contribution to 1.5 per cent of GDP, creating 5,00,000 new jobs, establishing regional “creative hubs”, and forming a long-term investment fund.
The government has already begun appointing sports and music teachers to primary schools and has launched a special incentive scheme for athletes.
Furthermore, a nationwide grassroots sports initiative named “Natun Kuri Sports” was launched on 2 May.
Despite these positive steps, funding remains historically low, as the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports have collectively received less than 1 per cent of the total development budget for the past 15 years.
In the 2025–26 fiscal year, the combined development allocation for these three ministries was Tk1,982 crore, accounting for a mere 0.81 per cent of the total Tk2,45,609 crore development budget.
By comparison, neighbouring India announced in its February 2026 central budget that it will set up animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country.
What industry insiders say
People from the cultural sector have widely applauded the government’s initiatives for Orange Economy. In a conversation with TIMES of Bangladesh, Rashed Mamun, general secretary of the Actors’ Association, warmly welcomed the initiative.
Offering further insight, film critic Bidhan Ribeiro noted that, to the best of his knowledge, the government plans to establish a creative economic zone spanning a few hundred acres in Purbachal, backed by an estimated budget of Tk300 crore.
He expressed hope that if the government executes this project properly, it could fundamentally transform the country’s creative sector almost overnight.
National Film Award-winning director Khandaker Sumon also praised the move, stating that the government’s initiative will help the nation diversify away from traditional methods of building foreign reserves.
He emphasised that Bangladesh can no longer rely solely on garment exports and remittance from manpower, adding that the proposed support for content creators and the broader creative economy will yield a highly positive impact on national reserves.
Echoing these sentiments, Mohammad Nurullah, general secretary of the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies, remarked that the government has finally realised the importance of the creative economy, calling it a highly positive and timely step.
He observed that film, culture, and the creative industries are not merely entertainment sectors, but vital drivers of economic growth, employment, and the country’s soft power. However, he cautioned that the true success of this allocation will depend entirely on its transparent, accountable, and rational use, expressing hope that the views of relevant stakeholders will be seriously considered during policymaking and implementation.
