Govt Unveils Creative Economy Plan Targeting 500,000 Jobs
The government has announced an ambitious plan to develop a nationwide network of Creative Hubs and promote region-specific products through a “One-Village, One-Product” initiative, aiming to generate 500,000 new jobs and increase the creative economy’s contribution to 1.5 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The initiative was outlined in the proposed FY2026-27 budget, which allocated Tk 300 crore for the development of the creative economy sector. An additional Tk 500 crore is expected to be mobilised through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sector of Bangladesh Bank.
Presenting the budget in parliament, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the government seeks to unlock the economic potential of the country’s creative industries and integrate them into the mainstream economy.
“Our goal is to unlock the vast economic potential of the country’s creative industries and integrate them into the mainstream economy,” he said.
Under the “One-Village, One-Product” programme, the government plans to identify and promote unique regional products across the country, including handloom items, pottery, terracotta products, shital pati, shataranji, wooden toys, handmade jewellery and other traditional crafts.
To improve product quality and competitiveness, the government will establish a National Pool of Designers and modernise the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Design Centre to international standards.
A key component of the initiative is the establishment of Creative Hubs at national and regional levels.
According to the plan, the hubs will function as cultural and commercial centres featuring cultural venues, bookstores, reading facilities, cineplexes, cafeterias and dedicated spaces for showcasing and marketing regional products.
The government is also preparing a 10-year investment strategy and a time-bound action plan for developing Creative Hubs across the country.
A world-class central Creative Hub is proposed on 160 acres of land in Purbachal under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Feasibility studies are also underway for potential hubs on unused land in Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon and vacant industrial plots under BSCIC.
The programme will be expanded beyond Dhaka, with plans to establish Creative Hubs at divisional, district and upazila levels. Similar facilities are also planned at Bangladesh Shishu Academy and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy premises.
The budget document described Creative Hubs as essential for building a vibrant creative economy ecosystem and creating opportunities for cultural and economic activities nationwide.
Alongside the Creative Hub initiative, Innovation Hubs have already been established in engineering and technology universities. The government is preparing a roadmap to expand these facilities to other universities and undergraduate colleges.
The finance minister said the proposed measures are aimed at strengthening production, promotion and marketing of creative economy products while encouraging entrepreneurship, cultural development and employment generation.
He reiterated the government’s long-term goal of transforming Bangladesh into a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2034 through investment, productivity and job creation.
Officials expect that the combined implementation of the One-Village, One-Product programme, Creative Hubs, Innovation Hubs and design support initiatives will significantly expand the creative economy’s role in national development while creating half a million new jobs.
Govt Unveils Creative Economy Plan Targeting 500,000 Jobs
The government has announced an ambitious plan to develop a nationwide network of Creative Hubs and promote region-specific products through a “One-Village, One-Product” initiative, aiming to generate 500,000 new jobs and increase the creative economy’s contribution to 1.5 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The initiative was outlined in the proposed FY2026-27 budget, which allocated Tk 300 crore for the development of the creative economy sector. An additional Tk 500 crore is expected to be mobilised through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sector of Bangladesh Bank.
Presenting the budget in parliament, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the government seeks to unlock the economic potential of the country’s creative industries and integrate them into the mainstream economy.
“Our goal is to unlock the vast economic potential of the country’s creative industries and integrate them into the mainstream economy,” he said.
Under the “One-Village, One-Product” programme, the government plans to identify and promote unique regional products across the country, including handloom items, pottery, terracotta products, shital pati, shataranji, wooden toys, handmade jewellery and other traditional crafts.
To improve product quality and competitiveness, the government will establish a National Pool of Designers and modernise the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Design Centre to international standards.
A key component of the initiative is the establishment of Creative Hubs at national and regional levels.
According to the plan, the hubs will function as cultural and commercial centres featuring cultural venues, bookstores, reading facilities, cineplexes, cafeterias and dedicated spaces for showcasing and marketing regional products.
The government is also preparing a 10-year investment strategy and a time-bound action plan for developing Creative Hubs across the country.
A world-class central Creative Hub is proposed on 160 acres of land in Purbachal under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Feasibility studies are also underway for potential hubs on unused land in Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon and vacant industrial plots under BSCIC.
The programme will be expanded beyond Dhaka, with plans to establish Creative Hubs at divisional, district and upazila levels. Similar facilities are also planned at Bangladesh Shishu Academy and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy premises.
The budget document described Creative Hubs as essential for building a vibrant creative economy ecosystem and creating opportunities for cultural and economic activities nationwide.
Alongside the Creative Hub initiative, Innovation Hubs have already been established in engineering and technology universities. The government is preparing a roadmap to expand these facilities to other universities and undergraduate colleges.
The finance minister said the proposed measures are aimed at strengthening production, promotion and marketing of creative economy products while encouraging entrepreneurship, cultural development and employment generation.
He reiterated the government’s long-term goal of transforming Bangladesh into a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2034 through investment, productivity and job creation.
Officials expect that the combined implementation of the One-Village, One-Product programme, Creative Hubs, Innovation Hubs and design support initiatives will significantly expand the creative economy’s role in national development while creating half a million new jobs.
The government has announced an ambitious plan to develop a nationwide network of Creative Hubs and promote region-specific products through a “One-Village, One-Product” initiative, aiming to generate 500,000 new jobs and increase the creative economy’s contribution to 1.5 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The initiative was outlined in the proposed FY2026-27 budget, which allocated Tk 300 crore for the development of the creative economy sector. An additional Tk 500 crore is expected to be mobilised through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sector of Bangladesh Bank.
Presenting the budget in parliament, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the government seeks to unlock the economic potential of the country’s creative industries and integrate them into the mainstream economy.
“Our goal is to unlock the vast economic potential of the country’s creative industries and integrate them into the mainstream economy,” he said.
Under the “One-Village, One-Product” programme, the government plans to identify and promote unique regional products across the country, including handloom items, pottery, terracotta products, shital pati, shataranji, wooden toys, handmade jewellery and other traditional crafts.
To improve product quality and competitiveness, the government will establish a National Pool of Designers and modernise the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Design Centre to international standards.
A key component of the initiative is the establishment of Creative Hubs at national and regional levels.
According to the plan, the hubs will function as cultural and commercial centres featuring cultural venues, bookstores, reading facilities, cineplexes, cafeterias and dedicated spaces for showcasing and marketing regional products.
The government is also preparing a 10-year investment strategy and a time-bound action plan for developing Creative Hubs across the country.
A world-class central Creative Hub is proposed on 160 acres of land in Purbachal under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Feasibility studies are also underway for potential hubs on unused land in Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon and vacant industrial plots under BSCIC.
The programme will be expanded beyond Dhaka, with plans to establish Creative Hubs at divisional, district and upazila levels. Similar facilities are also planned at Bangladesh Shishu Academy and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy premises.
The budget document described Creative Hubs as essential for building a vibrant creative economy ecosystem and creating opportunities for cultural and economic activities nationwide.
Alongside the Creative Hub initiative, Innovation Hubs have already been established in engineering and technology universities. The government is preparing a roadmap to expand these facilities to other universities and undergraduate colleges.
The finance minister said the proposed measures are aimed at strengthening production, promotion and marketing of creative economy products while encouraging entrepreneurship, cultural development and employment generation.
He reiterated the government’s long-term goal of transforming Bangladesh into a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2034 through investment, productivity and job creation.
Officials expect that the combined implementation of the One-Village, One-Product programme, Creative Hubs, Innovation Hubs and design support initiatives will significantly expand the creative economy’s role in national development while creating half a million new jobs.
