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KOTRA Dhaka Trade Office 2025 Business Direction: Three-Pillar Strategy of Export, Investment, and Trade Cooperation

KOTRA Dhaka Trade Office 2025 Business Direction

The KOTRA Dhaka Trade Office's 2025 business direction is structured around three pillars: export support, investment attraction, and trade cooperation. Reflecting a 15% budget increase year-on-year to $3.2M, the program expands its scope and adds two new initiatives — CEPA negotiation support and a digital trade platform. The strategy was formulated with Bangladesh's LDC graduation (scheduled for 2026) and post-interim-government economic stabilization as key environmental variables.

Bangladesh's political transition and the launch of the interim government in 2024 caused short-term delays in some programs, but over the medium-to-long term the shift toward greater transparency and market openness has improved conditions for Korean firms. 2025 is designated as the year to move beyond the recovery phase and begin generating substantive contract wins and investment outcomes. Export contribution of $50M and five new investment cases are the core KPIs.

$3.2M
Total Budget
15% increase year-on-year
Export · Investment · Trade
3-Pillar Strategy
5 detailed programs in operation
$50M
Export Contribution KPI
Annual export contribution target
4
Market Missions
Infrastructure · Consumer · ICT · Medical
6
Buyer Consultations
Target: 300+ consultations
5
New Investment Cases
Including economic special zones
1st Negotiation
CEPA Support
Scheduled for H2 2025
New Build
Digital Platform
Buyer DB: 1,000 firms

Export Support Pillar: Market Missions and Buyer Matching ($1.2M)

The export support pillar allocates $1.2M to operate four market missions, six buyer invitation consultations, 200 individual export support cases, and an online platform build. It focuses on four sectors — infrastructure, consumer goods, ICT, and medical — with an annual KPI of $50M in export contribution.

5 Detailed Export Support Program Plans
ProgramScaleBudgetTargetQuarter
Infrastructure Market Mission1 mission, 12 firms$120KContact 15 procuring agencies; 2 MOUsQ1
Consumer Goods Market Mission1 mission, 15 firms$100KMeet 50 K-beauty/food buyersQ2
ICT Market Mission1 mission, 10 firms$100KContact e-Government and fintech procurersQ3
Medical Market Mission1 mission, 10 firms$80KSupport 10 firms with DGDA registrationQ4
Buyer Invitation Consultations6 sessions, 30 firms/session$300K300+ cumulative consultationsQuarterly
Individual Export Support200 cases$300KIndividual care: customs, certification, disputesOngoing
Online PlatformNew build$200KBuild buyer DB of 1,000 firmsH1

Investment Attraction and Trade Cooperation ($1.3M)

Investment attraction ($0.8M) targets five new investment cases per year, operating three investment IRs and two economic zone tours. Trade cooperation ($0.5M) centers on supporting the first round of CEPA negotiations, alongside regulatory response and non-tariff barrier elimination.

Investment Attraction ($0.8M)
Investment IRs3 sessions — Seoul, Busan, online
Zone Tours2 sessions — Mirsarai and Mongla economic zones
New Investment KPITarget: 5 cases
Existing Investor SupportSupport 30 established firms with operational issues
Trade Cooperation ($0.5M)
CEPA Support1st negotiation local logistics support (Q3)
Non-Tariff BarriersTarget: resolve 20 cases; BSTI standard compliance
Trade Seminars2 sessions (Seoul + online); LDC graduation preparation
Information ProvisionTrade newsletter distributed twice monthly

Quarterly Execution Plan

01
Q1 (January–March) — Infrastructure and Investment Focus
Infrastructure market mission (12 firms). Investment IR in Seoul. Two buyer consultations (consumer goods and electronics). Launch inaugural trade newsletter. Strengthen PMS public procurement monitoring.
02
Q2 (April–June) — Consumer Goods and Economic Zones
Consumer goods market mission (K-beauty and K-ramen, 15 firms). Mirsarai economic zone tour (attract Korean manufacturing investment). Infrastructure Roadshow 2025 (7 agency presentations, 200 consultations). Participation in K-Goods Festa.
03
Q3 (July–September) — ICT and CEPA
ICT market mission (e-Government and fintech, 10 firms). Local support for CEPA 1st negotiation. Official launch of online buyer matching platform. Investment IR in Busan (shipbuilding and machinery sectors).
04
Q4 (October–December) — Medical and Annual Review
Medical market mission (DGDA registration support, 10 firms). Mongla economic zone tour. Annual performance evaluation and 2026 planning. Final tally of $50M export contribution KPI achievement.
2025 Quarterly KPI Targets and Metrics
QuarterExport Contribution (Target)ConsultationsInvestment CasesKey Programs
Q1$8M801Infrastructure mission; Investment IR Seoul
Q2$15M1001Consumer goods mission; Infrastructure Roadshow
Q3$12M602ICT mission; CEPA 1st negotiation
Q4$15M601Medical mission; annual evaluation
Annual Total$50M30053-pillar strategy full achievement

Budget Allocation and KPI Management Framework

2025 Budget Allocation and Program KPIs
Program AreaBudgetShareKPI MetricKPI Target
Export Support$1.2M37.5%Export contribution$50M
Investment Attraction$0.8M25.0%New investment cases5 cases
Trade Cooperation$0.5M15.6%CEPA support and NTB resolution1st negotiation support
Digital Platform$0.4M12.5%Buyer DB build1,000 firms
Operations$0.3M9.4%Operational efficiency
Total$3.2M100%

Two New Programs for 2025

CEPA Negotiation Support (New)
BackgroundKorea–Bangladesh CEPA negotiations scheduled to launch H2 2025
Support ContentLocal meeting support for negotiations; industry opinion gathering
Expected ImpactUpon CEPA conclusion: 0% tariff → major boost to export competitiveness
Priority ProductsElectronics, cosmetics, medical devices, automotive parts
Digital Trade Platform (New)
Platform FunctionsBuyer DB, bid intelligence, consultation booking — all in one
Build Scale1,000 buyers; 50 procuring agencies
Operation ModelAI matching system at Korea HQ linked to local operations
Expected ImpactOvercome offline limitations; reach buyers nationwide
Q1: Infrastructure and Investment
Infrastructure mission, Investment IR Seoul, 2 buyer consultations
Q2: Consumer Goods and Zones
Consumer goods mission, Mirsarai zone tour, Infrastructure Roadshow
Q3: ICT and CEPA
ICT mission, CEPA 1st negotiation, digital platform launch
Q4: Medical and Evaluation
Medical mission, Mongla zone tour, annual KPI final tally
2025 Overseas Market News Results (3.8)Analysis of the Dhaka Trade Office's 2025 provisional performance figures
Infrastructure Roadshow 2025The Q2 flagship program — a comprehensive guide to presentations by 7 agencies
KOTRABusiness Direction2025Export SupportInvestment AttractionCEPATrade Cooperation
KOTRA Dhaka Trade Office 2025 Business Direction: Three-Pillar Strategy of Export, Investment, and Trade Cooperation | Dhaka Trade Portal