Prospects of Optical Lenses in Bangladesh's Light Engineering Sector
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In 2023, the global market for lenses and optical elements (HS 9002) reached an estimated USD 15.1 billion, driven by surging demand in medical imaging, industrial instrumentation, and consumer-electronics applications (Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity, 2023) and reflecting the sector’s critical role in technological innovation. China remained the world’s largest exporter of these goods—shipping USD 602.9 million in 2022—followed by Germany at USD 495.3 million, with Taiwan and Japan also featuring prominently among top suppliers (OEC World, 2022). Against this formidable landscape, Bangladesh’s optics industry remains in its early stages, but signs of growth and increasing specialization are emerging. The expanding health diagnostics and electronics sectors offer promising domestic opportunities, while early export activity suggests the potential for greater participation in international value chains.
According to the Harvard Atlas, the country's exports of lenses and related optical elements (HS codes 9001 and 9002) were USD 3.6 million and USD 9.7 million, respectively, in 2023. While this volume remains a fraction of China’s output, Bangladeshi shipments have diversified in both destination and product range: historic markets such as China, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines continue to absorb the majority of exports, but exports to Portugal, Germany, and the United States have gained momentum, signaling Bangladesh’s growing credibility in Western procurement circuits (OEC World, 2022).
This progress rests on targeted investments in modern fabrication and quality-control equipment that enable domestic producers to manufacture high-precision unmounted elements—spectacle and contact lenses, prisms, and polarizing sheets (HS 9001)—alongside mounted camera and projector lenses (HS 9002). Sanko Optical Co. (BD) Ltd., established in 1992 in Chattogram's Export Processing Zone, has significantly contributed to the growth of Bangladesh's optics manufacturing sector. The company produces lenses for various applications, including security cameras, projectors, medical accessories, scanners, and other precision-optics devices. Sanko's dual proficiency in HS 9001 and HS 9002 products underscores Bangladesh's expanding technical capabilities and adherence to stringent quality standards. With an annual production capacity of 1.5 million lenses, Sanko exemplifies the country's growing expertise in high-precision manufacturing. Additionally, according to Volza's export data, Sanko Optical Co. (BD) Ltd. was one of the top exporters of lenses from Bangladesh, accounting for 22% of the total shipments in the period from March 2023 to February 2024 .
Cost competitiveness remains one of Bangladesh’s core advantages. Labor rates for optics assembly and finishing in Bangladesh are estimated to be 20–30 percent lower than those in East-Asian manufacturing hubs, yet local technicians demonstrate strong proficiency in precision processes (World Bank, 2023). Strategic upgrades to Chattogram and Mongla ports have shortened sea-freight transit times to major Asian and Middle Eastern destinations, while ongoing improvements in road and rail connectivity support just-in-time supply chains for inland markets. Digital reforms—including single-window export licensing and the automation of customs procedures—have further reduced bureaucratic bottlenecks, enabling suppliers to dispatch validated samples and production orders with greater predictability (Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce, 2023).
Quality assurance and international accreditation constitute another critical pillar of competitiveness. In response to recommendations from the OECD’s Production Transformation Policy Review, Bangladesh has fast-tracked the accreditation of domestic testing laboratories and conformity-assessment bodies, dramatically reducing turnaround times for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, CE (Conformité Européenne) and UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certifications—credentials essential for access to European and North American markets (OECD, 2022). Concurrently, capacity-building initiatives delivered through partnerships between the Ministry of Commerce and industry associations equip SMEs with the documentation skills and quality-management systems required for export compliance, closing capability gaps and empowering smaller firms to diversify into new markets.
Analysis of Product Complexity Index scores indicates that unmounted optical elements (HS 9001) carry lower complexity than mounted lenses (HS 9002), which involve housed assemblies and specialized optical coatings (Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity, 2023). By sequencing their product strategies—focusing initially on HS 9001—Bangladeshi firms can scale volumes rapidly, refine quality-control procedures and build buyer trust before progressing to higher-margin, higher-complexity HS 9002 segments. This incremental upgrading mitigates risk, fosters operational expertise and positions suppliers to unlock premium market niches over time.
Despite historical challenges—chiefly fragmented testing capacity and protracted certification cycles—the optical-lens sector is now on an unmistakable upward trajectory. Policy partnerships between the Ministry of Commerce and industry associations have rolled out training programs in international quality standards and export documentation, further strengthening SMEs’ export readiness . Looking ahead, innovations in smartphone camera modules, next-generation medical diagnostics and immersive AR/VR systems promise to sustain robust growth in the global optical-lens market (Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity, 2023).
Despite facing challenges such as fragmented testing capacity and extended certification cycles, Bangladesh's optical-lens sector is steadily progressing. Through collaborative policy initiatives between the Ministry of Commerce and industry associations, training programs focused on international quality standards and export documentation are gradually enhancing SMEs' export capabilities. The presence of Export Processing Zones (EPZs) provides a supportive environment for manufacturers, fostering growth and increasing global competitiveness. While there is still work to be done, the sector is on a positive path towards further strengthening compliance and industry standards.
