Bangladesh Frontier
South Asia · Dhaka · BDT (Bangladeshi Taka)
Economy & industry overview
Bangladesh is a lower-middle-income economy in South Asia with a nominal GDP of approximately $450 billion, making it one of the largest economies in the region. The country's growth has been driven predominantly by the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, which accounts for the vast majority of merchandise exports, alongside a growing pharmaceutical industry, remittances, and an expanding services sector. Agriculture, particularly rice and jute production, remains a significant employer even as its share of GDP has declined. The economy has faced headwinds in recent years including elevated inflation, balance-of-payments pressures, and financial sector vulnerabilities, though long-term structural growth fundamentals remain intact. Bangladesh is classified as a frontier market, with the Dhaka Stock Exchange serving as the principal capital market.
Key sectors
Learn everything about Bangladesh →Macro
| GDP nominal, USD | $450.12B |
| GDP growth real, annual | 4.2% |
| Inflation annual | 9.0% |
| Population people | 173.6M |
| GDP per capita USD | $2,623 |
| Market cap total listed, USD | $54.00B |
| Market cap / GDP | 12.0% |
| Unemployment | 3.6% |
| Listed companies | 656 |
| Exchange | Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) |
Data year: 2024. Sources: World Bank / FRED (GDP 2024), IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026), Wikipedia – Economy of Bangladesh, Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) official data, CEIC – DSE Market Capitalisation, Trading Economics, FocusEconomics, The Daily Star / Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Labour Force Survey 2024, World Bank Bangladesh Development Update (October 2024), Future Startup – 50 Most Valuable Companies in Bangladesh (October 2024).
Latest news
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Other South Asia markets
India
Pakistan
Sri LankaLargest listed companies
The biggest companies on the main local exchange, by market capitalisation.
| # | Company | Sector | Market capUSD | US listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grameenphone LimitedGP · DSE | Telecommunications | $2.77B | — |
| 2 | Square Pharmaceuticals PLCSQURPHARMA · DSE | Pharmaceuticals | $1.58B | — |
| 3 | British American Tobacco Bangladesh Company LimitedBATBC · DSE | Consumer Staples – Tobacco | $1.40B | — |
| 4 | Renata PLCRENATA · DSE | Pharmaceuticals | $900.00M | — |
| 5 | BRAC Bank PLCBRACBANK · DSE | Banking | $850.00M | — |
| 6 | Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLCWALTONHIL · DSE | Consumer Electronics & Appliances | $800.00M | — |
| 7 | United Power Generation & Distribution Company LimitedUNITEDPWR · DSE | Power & Energy | $700.00M | — |
| 8 | Robi Axiata LimitedROBI · DSE | Telecommunications | $630.00M | — |
| 9 | Beximco Pharmaceuticals LimitedBXPHARMA · DSE | Pharmaceuticals | $500.00M | BXPHARMA (London Stock Exchange AIM, not a US ADR) |
| 10 | Berger Paints Bangladesh LimitedBERGERPBL · DSE | Paints & Coatings | $430.00M | — |
| 11 | Marico Bangladesh LimitedMARICO · DSE | Fast-Moving Consumer Goods | $370.00M | — |
| 12 | Dutch-Bangla Bank LimitedDUTCHBANGL · DSE | Banking | $340.00M | — |
| 13 | Islami Bank Bangladesh PLCISLAMIBANK · DSE | Banking (Islamic Finance) | $320.00M | — |
| 14 | Olympic Industries LimitedOLYMPIC · DSE | Food & Beverages | $290.00M | — |
| 15 | LafargeHolcim Bangladesh LimitedLAFARGEHLC · DSE | Cement & Construction Materials | $270.00M | — |
| 16 | Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company LimitedTITASGAS · DSE | Gas & Utilities | $250.00M | — |
| 17 | Summit Power LimitedSUMMITPOW · DSE | Power & Energy | $240.00M | — |
| 18 | Eastern Bank PLCEBL · DSE | Banking | $220.00M | — |
| 19 | City Bank PLCCITYBANK · DSE | Banking | $210.00M | — |
| 20 | Pubali Bank LimitedPUBALIBАНК · DSE | Banking | $200.00M | — |
| 21 | ACME Laboratories LimitedACMELAB · DSE | Pharmaceuticals | $185.00M | — |
| 22 | MJL Bangladesh LimitedMJL · DSE | Petroleum Products | $175.00M | — |
| 23 | Padma Oil Company LimitedPADMAOIL · DSE | Petroleum Products | $165.00M | — |
| 24 | Jamuna Oil Company LimitedJAMUNAOI · DSE | Petroleum Products | $155.00M | — |
| 25 | Power Grid Company of Bangladesh LimitedPGCB · DSE | Power Transmission | $145.00M | — |
| 26 | BSRM Steels LimitedBSRMSTEEL · DSE | Steel & Iron | $140.00M | — |
| 27 | Linde Bangladesh LimitedLINDEBGL · DSE | Industrial Gases & Chemicals | $130.00M | — |
| 28 | Investment Corporation of BangladeshICB · DSE | Investment / Financial Services | $125.00M | — |
| 29 | Meghna Petroleum LimitedMEGHNACEM · DSE | Petroleum Products | $120.00M | — |
| 30 | IDLC Finance LimitedIDLC · DSE | Non-Bank Financial Institution | $115.00M | — |
US-traded ETFs
Funds listed in the US that give exposure to this market, the simplest route for many US investors.
Local exchange & access
| Exchange | Dhaka Stock Exchange |
| Code | DSE |
| Website | www.dse.com.bd |
| Currency | BDT |
Local broker access
Foreign investors may trade on the Dhaka Stock Exchange through TREC (Trading Right Entitlement Certificate) holders. A Beneficiary Owner (BO) account must be opened with a registered stockbroker or depository participant under the Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL). Repatriation of capital and dividends by non-resident investors is permitted subject to Bangladesh Bank regulations. International retail access is limited; most foreign institutional participation occurs via local custodian arrangements.
Global brokers with foreign-market access
- Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
- Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
- Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
- Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.
Listed for convenience only. Not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.
Relocation & residency
Foreign-investor access
Bangladesh does not operate a formal residency-by-investment or citizenship-by-investment programme. Foreign nationals may obtain work permits and long-term visas through employment or business registration channels, but no structured 'golden visa' pathway exists as of 2024–2025.
US-listed ADRs & cross-listings
Companies from this country whose shares also trade in the US, investable in a normal US brokerage account.
| Company | US ticker | Local ticker | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited | BXPHARMA | Beximco Pharmaceuticals has a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (ticker: BXP) but does not have a US ADR programme. No Bangladeshi company currently has an active sponsored ADR programme on a major US exchange. |