PRESS
RELEASE

The Maheshkhali Integrated Development Authority (MIDA) has organized a stakeholder consultation to drive sustainable export growth in Bangladesh's high-potential shrimp sector, proposing plans to establish an economic zone for commercial shrimp production.

The meeting was chaired by Ashik Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of MIDA, and held at BIDA's conference room at 12:30pm. High-level representatives from key government ministries, regulatory bodies, and industry associations, alongside international development partners, joined the discussion. 

Shrimp remains the main export earner within Bangladesh’s fisheries sector and holds strong potential to contribute further to export diversification beyond RMG. In FY2024–25, shrimp accounted for about 76% of frozen fish and shrimp export earnings, rising 19% to USD 296.29 million out of a combined sector total of USD 388.7 million.

In a keynote presentation, Commodore Tanzim Faruq, Executive Member, MIDA, outlined a comprehensive and strategic roadmap for transforming Bangladesh's shrimp sector. Drawing on best practice examples from China, Thailand, and Vietnam, he advocated for a decisive shift toward Indoor and Intensive Aquaculture through Controlled Indoor Farming, emphasizing that moving away from raw commodity export toward value-added brand creation could unlock five times or more in shrimp export earnings per kilogramme.

MIDA's presentation mapped out investment entry points across the value chain — spanning hatcheries, feed mills, indoor smart farms, processing plants, cold storage and logistics, and AgriTech solutions including real-time shrimp farm monitoring systems. Commodore Faruq also shed light on the structural challenges associated with conventional farming practices, including recurring disease outbreaks, low productivity, certification and real-time e-traceability shortfalls, price volatility, and import restrictions on Vannamei (white leg shrimp), a species that holds a dominant position in global production and retail markets.

A key proposal put forward by MIDA was the establishment of a dedicated Shrimp Economic Zone (EZ) which would consolidate hatcheries, feed mills, laboratories, and farms under strict biosecurity controls, while unlocking permission for controlled Vannamei cultivation. Anchored by EU/USA compliance standards, real-time monitoring, and full e-traceability, the EZ would strengthen export readiness and drive higher productivity — targeting over 85% survival rates and three crop cycles annually. 

Under the proposed framework, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) will lead investment promotion and facilitation, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) will oversee the zone, and MIDA will ensure the policy coordination needed to support the zone’s development.

“The government is committed to reviving Bangladesh’s shrimp sector. MIDA has been engaging with industry leaders and experts over time, and this meeting is part of that continued effort to listen closely to the private sector, document its needs, and identify the specific interventions required to unlock growth. As those consultations begin to converge towards a set of practical recommendations, our goal is to place them before the government so that Bangladesh can strengthen shrimp exports and move towards the billion-dollar mark,” said Ashik Chowdhury, Executive Chairman, MIDA.

Industry leaders present at the meeting expressed broad agreement with the proposed Shrimp Economic Zone (EZ) plan and discussed potential locations in Khulna, Maheskhali, Cox’s Bazar and Satkhira. The meeting also identified a number of priority actions, including support for value-added industries and inclusion of domestication, SPF hatchery and feed mill facilities within the zone. A phased approach to the zone’s development was also considered alongside the inclusion of import-to-export bonded warehouse processing. Greater participation of women across the sector was also encouraged. 

The meeting concluded with an invitation to businesses and investors to explore opportunities for investment and location within the economic zone, as part of a broader effort to support the sector’s long-term growth. To support finalisation of the proposal for the government, MIDA and BIDA will convene another round of stakeholder consultations to document the details, followed by a working group meeting for more elaborate planning.  

Among the participants were representatives from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MOFL), the Department of Fisheries (DOF), Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), and private-sector leaders representing the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF), Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA), AIS Marine Investment, Sea Resources Group, MKA SPF Hatchery, ACI Agrolink Ltd., Total Food Processing (Pvt.) Ltd., Felix Assentoft Aqua, and Japan Fast Trade Ltd. 

Earlier, on 1 April 2026, MIDA and BIDA met the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) to discuss export-oriented proposals and possible policy support for the sector, with that engagement and subsequent consultations helping shape the plan and lead to the stakeholder meeting. 

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The Maheshkhali Integrated Development Authority (MIDA) is a statutory body established under the Maheshkhali Integrated Development Authority Act 2026, to plan and coordinate the integrated development of Maheshkhali and Matarbari — two strategically located coastal areas in Cox's Bazar — envisioned as one of Bangladesh's largest commercial hubs, combining logistics, energy, manufacturing, and fisheries, anchored by a deep-sea port with direct access to international shipping lines. 
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Contact: 

Commodore Tanzim Faruq

Executive Member, MIDA

+880 1726-460592 

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