Exports of frozen food from Bangladesh have grown steadily over the past few years, prompting the entry of new entrepreneurs and products within the sector.
“What we are seeing now is a very encouraging trend,” said Dr Mohammad Shah Alam, deputy director of the Plant Quarantine Station at Chattogram port.
“It not only reflects the growing strength of our agro-processing industry but also signals a new era of export diversification,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
Alam informed that the Plant Quarantine Station is working closely with exporters to ensure that local frozen food products comply with international phytosanitary standards, maintaining their reputation in global markets.
Besides, the sector could play a key role in increasing foreign exchange earnings, he added.
Data of the Plant Quarantine Station shows frozen food exports increased 6 percent year-on-year to 3,085 tonnes in fiscal 2020-21.
However, exports contracted 10.9 percent to 2,748 tonnes amid the Covid-19 fallout the following year.
After pandemic pressures eased, the sector saw exports of 3,292 tonnes in fiscal year (FY) 2022-23, 3,207 tonnes in FY24 and 3,201 tonnes in FY25.
Meanwhile, exports already reached 2,026 tonnes within the first three months of the current fiscal.
Officials of the Plant Quarantine Station said that alongside several established industrial groups, a growing number of new entrepreneurs are entering the frozen food business.
One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that with the proper access to market information and international linkages, these new entrants could significantly increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
The official added that although around 70 percent of the buyers of Bangladeshi frozen foods abroad are expatriate Bangladeshis, demand among foreigners is also rising.
According to leading frozen food exporters at Chattogram port – such as Masud Agro Processing, Sabjiana Ltd, and IFFCO Food Industries – there is growing demand for traditional Bangladeshi snack items in North American and European markets.
The most popular items shipped to countries like the US, UK, Italy, France and Belgium include samosa, daal puri, vegetable roll, roti, pitha and paratha.
Dodul Kumar Datta, vice president of the Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association, told TIMES that frozen paratha make up more than 80 percent of the items exported through the seaport.
Among the new entrants, Sea Natural Food Limited has recently begun exporting frozen paratha to the UK, with about 90 tonnes shipped in four consignments over the past four months.
Md Yusuf, manager (export) of Sabjiana, a subsidiary of BD Sea Foods, said all their food items are processed and packaged at their own factory.
“Around 70 percent of our buyers are expatriates, while 30 percent are from other Asian communities. Among our exports, paratha tops the list,” he added.
ABM Shamsul Karim, general manager of Masud Agro Processing Food Products Ltd, said they export products worth about $5 lakh each year, of which $4 lakh are frozen food items.
“Bangladeshi frozen food is now gaining popularity not only among expatriates but also among consumers from other regions of Asia and beyond,” he told TIMES.
“In fact, nearly 90 percent of our frozen food consumers are non-Bangladeshi citizens,” Karim added.
He also said the overall export volume remains limited – under 3,000 tonnes a year – due to the absence of duty-free import facilities for packaging materials.
“If the government extended duty-free facilities for importing packaging materials and restored the 20 percent cash incentive for agro-food exports [now 10 percent], it would greatly boost the sector’s competitiveness and encourage entrepreneurs,” Karim added.
