Lower logistics costs and faster delivery compared to global competitors have driven Bangladesh’s growing reliance on agricultural imports from India. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, Bangladesh imported agricultural goods worth $2.4 billion from the neighbouring country, accounting for 21.25 percent of total import expenditure. These imports mainly include food grains, spices and essential commodities. However, buffalo meat ranked as the highest export to Bangladesh in terms of value, followed by non-basmati rice, according to the latest official Indian data.
Industry insiders, however, say that Bangladesh does not permit the import of beef, buffalo, or other meat products, except for limited quantities of premium frozen meat for five-star hotels. Even in such cases, the import value is not expected to be this high. Both the commerce ministry and the Department of Livestock Services have stated that there is no approval for meat imports.
In India, export clearances for meat are issued by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under its Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Bangladesh imported nearly $2.4 billion worth of agricultural goods from India in FY 2024–25, according to APEDA data. Of this, buffalo meat accounted for the highest share at approximately $577.8 million. Non-basmati rice followed at $358.8 million, while imports of spices reached $320.6 million, floriculture and ornamental plant products $217.8 million, and onions $204.5 million. Surprisingly, there is no record of buffalo meat imports in Bangladesh’s official documents.
Responding to queries, Additional Secretary of the Import and Internal Trade (IIT) wing of the commerce ministry, Shibir Bichitra Barua, told Bonik Barta, “The No Objection Certificate (NOC) for meat imports is issued by the Department of Livestock Services. The Ministry of Commerce doesn’t issue any NOC. But, as far as I know, there’s no approval for meat imports.”
Prior approval from the Department of Livestock Services is required for importing beef, goat meat, poultry, and other meat fit for human consumption, according to the government’s Import Policy Order 2021–24. However, officials at the department said they are not issuing any NOC for meat imports.
Dr Md Boyzar Rahman, director of the Trade Wing of the Department of Livestock Services, told Bonik Barta, “We don’t permit the import of any meat. But, there’s limited approval for small quantities of special-quality meat for five-star hotels or similar establishments. For example, sirloin-grade beef is sold by a local company at BDT 5,000 per kg. Such items are approved not as meat imports but as special-category food products. Otherwise, there’s no permission for meat imports.”
When asked about the APEDA data indicating buffalo meat imports worth around $577.8 million, Dr Rahman said, “I didn’t have such information at hand and would need to verify it.”
A former Director General of the Department of Livestock Services, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that approval from the department is mandatory for any meat import under the Import Policy Order 2021–24. “In practice, the department doesn’t grant such approvals, and the policy of restricting meat imports has been in place for a long time. Domestic livestock production is sufficient to meet the country’s demand. That’s why the department doesn’t grant import permissions, and the policy remains in effect,” he added.
The livestock sector contributes 1.81 percent to the country’s GDP and is growing at 3.19 percent. The country’s demand for meat was around 7.79 million tonnes in FY 2024–25, while production reached around 8.95 million tonnes, leaving a surplus of 1.16 million tonnes.
The agency also noted that buffalo production in the country has been steadily increasing for more than a decade. In FY 2024–25, the buffalo population stood at roughly 1.53 million, up from approximately 1.52 million in the previous fiscal year and around 1.41 million in FY 2022–23.
To assess the demand and supply of sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, the livestock ministry held a press conference on Sunday. Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid said that more than 2.2 million animals are expected to remain surplus compared to this year’s projected demand.
He said the estimated demand for sacrificial animals this year stands at over 10.10 million (10,106,334), while availability is approximately 12.33 million (12,333,840), leaving a surplus of about 2.22 million (2,227,506) animals. Of these, around 5.69 million (5,695,878) are cattle and buffalo eligible for sacrifice.
Meanwhile, the issue of buffalo meat exports has also been highlighted in a recent analysis on exporting agricultural products from India to Bangladesh and the market size, demand, and opportunities (2026 Guide) published on Tradeology.com, an India-based agricultural marketplace platform. The analysis noted that meat and staple grains are among the key agricultural products that can be exported from India to Bangladesh, with significant daily trade volumes.
The analysis also pointed out the price differential between the two countries, stating that meat sells for around $2,500–$3,000 per tonne in India, compared to $3,500–$4,500 per tonne in Bangladesh. This difference creates higher profit margins and makes exports to Bangladesh attractive for investors.
However, agricultural economists argue that Bangladesh has made substantial progress in livestock production in recent years, with domestic output not only meeting demand but also generating a surplus. In such a context, meat imports could further harm local farmers and livestock producers.
Dr Jahangir Alam, former director general of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, told Bonik Barta, “Limited imports of buffalo meat are allowed for hotels and restaurants, but this provision may be misused to bring in excess quantities. That could be why such high import figures appear in APEDA data.”
He added that domestic production is sufficient to meet demand and that unsold animals are often observed during Eid. “Allowing imports in such a situation would further increase losses for local farmers. So, the existing policy of restricting meat imports should be strictly enforced,” he said.