Delta Pharma has started work on an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing complex at the National Special Economic Zone in Mirsarai, Chattogram. The project aims to reduce Bangladesh’s reliance on imported pharmaceutical raw materials and begin commercial production by 2029.
Delta Life Sciences PLC and Delta API Ltd, two associate entities of Delta Pharma, will invest a combined $100 million in the project over the long term. The first phase will require around $43 million.
The two companies have secured 42 acres of land from the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA). Delta Life Sciences received 30 acres in 2025. Delta API secured another 12 acres on 5 July 2026.
Delta Life Sciences will develop several specialised facilities on its site. These will include a biopharmaceutical fill-finish and formulation facility, an oncology unit, and a herbal and nutraceutical production unit.
The company will also establish an AI-driven manufacturing facility and a research and development centre. The facilities will produce anti-cancer medicines, monoclonal antibodies, erythropoietin, filgrastim, topical medicines, herbal products and nutraceuticals.
Delta API Ltd will build a dedicated API manufacturing plant on its 12-acre site. The company plans to invest around $12.3 million in the facility. It will produce pharmaceutical raw materials for medicine manufacturers.
Delta Pharma Managing Director Dr Md Zakir Hossain said the company took possession of the land in November 2025. Since then, its teams have conducted digital surveys and started soil testing.
However, continuous rainfall has delayed the soil testing process. The company must also complete several planning stages before construction can begin.
These stages include approval of the boundary wall design and preparation of the site master plan. The company must also complete its architectural and structural designs.
Zakir said these activities usually take one to one-and-a-half years. Construction and commissioning will then require another two-and-a-half to three years. As a result, the company does not expect commercial production before 2029.
The project will also require reliable supplies of gas, water and electricity once production starts. Zakir urged BEZA to accelerate the development of the infrastructure promised for the economic zone.
APIs provide the active ingredients in medicines. Excipients, meanwhile, serve as inactive substances in pharmaceutical formulations.
Bangladesh currently imports around 85% to 95% of its pharmaceutical raw materials. This dependence highlights the need to expand domestic API manufacturing.
The country already has a strong pharmaceutical manufacturing base. Local manufacturers meet nearly 98% of domestic medicine demand. Bangladesh also exports finished pharmaceutical products to around 152 to 155 countries.
However, LDC graduation could create additional pressure on the industry. Bangladesh will gradually lose some existing trade and import-related benefits after graduating from the Least Developed Country category.
Expanding domestic API production could help the pharmaceutical industry manage this transition. It could also strengthen local supply chains and improve the sector’s long-term competitiveness.
Zakir said Bangladesh must strengthen its API sector to sustain its progress in pharmaceutical manufacturing and exports.
Bangladesh exported pharmaceutical products worth $238.49 million in FY2025-26. The figure stood at $213 million in the previous fiscal year.
The government has identified pharmaceuticals as one of eight priority sectors for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). The sector also offers opportunities to expand exports of high-value and specialised medicines.
BEZA and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury said pharmaceuticals remain a strategic priority for the government.
He said the government wants to increase pharmaceutical exports while meeting domestic demand. He also said the authorities would work to provide the infrastructure needed by manufacturers.
The National Special Economic Zone is the country’s largest planned industrial zone. It stretches across a 25-kilometre coastal area in Mirsarai and will include industrial, residential and urban facilities.
Delta Pharma’s investment adds to the zone’s growing manufacturing base. The API project could also help Bangladesh move further up the pharmaceutical value chain.
Greater domestic API production would reduce the industry’s dependence on imported raw materials. Over time, it could also support export growth and strengthen Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical competitiveness.
Source: The Business Standard
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