State Minister of Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed has called for greater local and foreign investment in Bangladesh’s cosmetics, skincare and personal care industry, urging stakeholders to turn the multi-billion-taka sector from an import-dependent market into a hub for manufacturing, exports and investment. She made the appeal while inaugurating Cosmética Dhaka 2026, powered by Remark Herlan, a three-day exhibition at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Kuril, Dhaka, on Thursday, 3 September 2026.
Speaking as chief guest, Obaed said Bangladesh could draw on the production capacity, compliance infrastructure, skilled workforce and global buyer relationships built up through its garment industry to establish contract manufacturing, formulation, specialised packaging, quality laboratories and certification facilities for cosmetics. She said building a strong supply chain of certified botanical and herbal ingredients, drawing on Bangladesh’s agriculture and natural resources, would let the sector meet domestic demand while opening new export markets.
The state minister said the government’s aim was to move the industry beyond “Made in Bangladesh” towards “Formulated, Developed and Branded in Bangladesh,” which would require investment facilitation, internationally recognised testing and certification, intellectual property protection, sustainable packaging and support for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. She added that an integrated industrial base built on environmentally friendly production, safe raw materials and international standards could make cosmetics and personal care a major new source of foreign currency earnings, employment and economic diplomacy for Bangladesh.
Besides Bangladesh, cosmetics brands, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and health experts from 16 countries are taking part in this year’s exhibition, including South Korea, Thailand, the United States, France, Singapore, China, Japan and India. The three-day event features more than 100 product stalls, live demonstrations, beauty consultations, discussions with skincare experts and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Bangladesh’s domestic cosmetics, toiletries and personal care market has seen growing participation from local entrepreneurs alongside major multinational companies, with rising investment in product diversity, quality, packaging and technology-driven manufacturing as local brands expand. Growing demand for affordable products is creating opportunities for local brands to gain market share, even as competition intensifies with the presence of large multinationals.
Speaking as a special guest, Baharul Monsur, president of the Bangladesh Indenting Agents’ Association (BIAA), said the country’s cosmetics and personal care industry had been growing every year, and that the association had long worked to ensure sustainable growth in the sector, adding that Cosmética Dhaka was intended to draw more investment into the industry and help it expand further.
Frank Kenton, senior perfumer at Senses International Ltd, said he had worked in Bangladesh for 40 years and considered it one of the promising markets in South Asia, though he noted that quality products for the market must also remain within consumers’ purchasing capacity. Dhruv Arora, director of Sachirrom Ltd, said Cosmética Dhaka was creating a new platform for bringing quality cosmetics to consumers and raising customer awareness, adding that his company had always worked to produce quality products suited to Bangladesh and its environment.
SM Faisal Munim, chief executive officer of Squad Mind Global Ltd, thanked local and international participants along with the business promotion councils of Thailand, South Korea and Bangladesh, saying he expected the second edition of Cosmética Dhaka to attract more local and foreign investment and to establish itself as a cross-matching platform for the industry, according to a press release.
Among others attending the opening ceremony were Squad Mind Global Ltd Managing Director Tanzin Sultana Priyanka, BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince, Ingenious Resources Director Fakhrul Alam, Remark-Herlan Director Sukanta Das, and ACI Consumer Brands Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Kamrul Hasan. The organisers said they hoped the exhibition would help attract new investment, facilitate technology transfer and create international partnerships in Bangladesh’s cosmetics and personal care industry. Media partners for this year’s event include Haul Fashion, Agamir Shomoy, Protidiner Bangladesh, Bangla Vision, Banglanews24.com and Bangla Telegraph. The exhibition remains open to visitors from 10am to 7pm daily.
