On Thursday, August 14, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh hosted a daylong seminar titled “Forum for EU Trade: Spotlight on Digital Product Passport” at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka. This event was supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, with DigiProd Pass Ltd. and Digital Architect Ltd. as technical partners.
The main objective of the forum was to explore the implications of one core element of the European Union’s new sustainability regulations, the Digital Product Passport (DPP), on Bangladesh’s export-oriented industries. The forum aimed to build a shared understanding of the key elements of the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and evaluate how Bangladesh can align its trade practices with upcoming requirements for traceability and circularity.
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) (Regulation EU 2024/1781), effective from July 18, 2024, formally introduces DPPs as digital “identity cards” for products sold in the EU. These DPPs will store data on model, batch, materials, repairs, environmental performance, and recycling information, accessible via QR code, NFC or RFID, to support sustainability, transparency, and enforcement.
The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, technology innovators, and sustainability experts. Mr. Mahbubur Rahman, Honourable Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, delivered a speech as the Chief Guest. The session was chaired by Mr. Md Abdur Rahim Khan, Additional Secretary (Export), Ministry of Commerce. Additionally, H. E. Dr. Rüdiger Lotz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Mr. Md Anwar Hossain, Vice Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau shared their thoughts as the Guest of Honors.
In his speech, H. E. Dr. Rüdiger Lotz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, commented, “The DPP is an important tool that will help ensure traceability and transparency of products.”
The Chief Guest, Mr. Mahbubur Rahman, Honourable Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, said in his speech, “The Digital Product Passport policy will be fully implemented by 2030. We need to prepare ourselves accordingly. However, it is important to ensure that implementing provisions like the DPP does not significantly raise costs.”
The programme featured keynote presentations, expert-led sessions, and two panel discussions. The first panel, “From Regulation to Readiness: Is Bangladesh Prepared?”, explored Bangladesh’s preparedness for the upcoming EU traceability requirements, with participation from representatives of the Ministry of Commerce, BIDA, BGMEA, BKMEA, and the Export Promotion Bureau.
During the panel discussion, Vidiya Amrit Khan, Vice President of BGMEA, pointed out, “The entire cost of implementing such a type of policy is required to be borne by the producers, which often goes beyond the ability of the small and medium-sized producers. In this case, the government, the European Union, and big brands need to come forward.”
The second panel, “Implementation Insights and Challenges: Experience Sharing From the Field”, focused on field-level experiences, with contributions from organizations such as Reverse Resources, Urmi Group, DataDevelop Consulting, DigiProd Pass and SERA Bangladesh. Mr. Md. Alamgir Kabir, Deputy Secretary, Planning Wing, Ministry of Commerce shared his valuable insights during this panel discussion.
Sohag Salauddin, Managing Director of DigiProd Pass, delivered an introductory address in the morning session of the seminar. Joanna Knight, Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, Chartered Environmentalist, and Co-Founder of The Sustainable Design Collective, conducted a presentation on “Sustainability and the Regulatory Framework in Europe” during Session 1. The second session of the event, titled “DPP Technical Deep Dive- Structure and Strategic Relevance”, was led by Dr. Fahim Chowdhury, Chairperson of DigiProd Pass.
A technical session provided an in-depth look at the structure and relevance of the DPP under the ESPR, including international perspectives and implementation examples such as the Digital Battery Passport. The sessions concluded with a technology showcase, featuring digital traceability solutions from DigiProd Pass, Garmenttech, Reverse Resources, ProKnoWara, and Leathertrace. Sohag Salauddin, took on a dedicated presentation outlining the background, objectives, and operation details of DigiProd Pass.
The day ended with a talk between the representatives of the host organizations Dr. Michael Klode (GIZ Bangladesh) and Sohag Salauddin (DigiProd Pass Ltd.) reflecting on the day and key takeaways from the daylong event, agreeing that this was more than an awareness seminar. It marked the beginning of a coordinated movement to adopt Digital Product Passport
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.