A comprehensive seminar titled EU Trade Forum: Spotlight on the Digital Product Passport was held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, aiming to familiarise Bangladesh’s export-driven industries with the European Union’s (EU) upcoming Digital Product Passport (DPP) policy. The event was organized jointly by the Ministry of Commerce and the German Development Agency GIZ.
The one-day seminar sought to build awareness about the DPP and assess Bangladesh’s readiness to align its export sectors with the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). It marked the first time such a technology-focused initiative was organised in Bangladesh, according to Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, who was the chief guest. He emphasised the importance of implementing new regulations without significantly increasing costs for businesses.
Md Abdur Rahim Khan, Additional Commerce Secretary, chaired the session, while German Ambassador Rüdiger Lotz highlighted the significance of the DPP as a tool for ensuring product traceability and transparency.
Md Anwar Hossain, Vice-Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau, stressed the need to develop a data ecosystem for the DPP that remains under government ownership, enabling exporters, factory owners, and private sector entities to benefit from its implementation.
Experts from sectors including apparel, food, pharmaceuticals, and batteries shared insights on the technical structure of the DPP and its role in ensuring supply chain traceability, from raw materials to finished products. The discussions focused on how Bangladesh can meet the EU’s evolving sustainability standards and foster a circular economy.
Organisers described the event as a vital platform for policymakers, industry leaders, and technology innovators to collaborate and prepare Bangladesh’s export industries for future EU regulations. The seminar underscored the country’s need to develop technological infrastructure and strategies to stay compliant with global sustainability requirements.
