Published: 12:11 AM, 06 July 2026
Govt to provide all-round support for establishing medical device industry: Health Minister
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bokul has said that the government will provide all-round support to domestic innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs to help establish a medical device industry in Bangladesh.
He made the remarks on Sunday while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the International Conference on Appropriate Technology for Healthcare in Low and Middle Income Countries (ICATH-LMIC 2026) at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building of the University of Dhaka.
The conference was jointly organized by the Department of Biomedical Physics and Technology of the University of Dhaka, the Department of Biomedical Engineering of BUET, the Department of Clinical Oncology of Bangladesh Medical University, BIBEAT Ltd and the Bangladesh Society for Relevant Science and Technology.
The minister said that Bangladesh still imports numerous common medical devices, including glucometers, blood pressure monitors, stethoscopes and surgical instruments, spending thousands of crores of taka every year.
Sakhawat Hossain, however, added that a large portion of these devices could easily be produced domestically through the coordinated efforts of the country's universities, research institutions and industrial sector.
"If we can develop the medical device industry, our dependence on imports can be reduced, employment opportunities can be created and Bangladesh can emerge as a regional hub for health technology innovation," he said.
WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr. Ahmed Jamshid Mohammad, Bangladesh Medical University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. F. M. Siddiqui, BUET Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, University of Dhaka Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A. B. M. Obaidul Islam, Science and Technology Ministry Secretary Md. Anowar Hossain and National Professor A. K. Azad Khan also spoke as special guests at the event.
