11th BAPA FoodPro Expo kicks off at ICCB

The three-day 11th BAPA FoodPro International Expo 2026 opened on Thursday, bringing together more than 200 brands from 27 countries to showcase food processing and packaging technology at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital.
Food Minister Afroza Khanam inaugurated the event as the chief guest and described it as a platform that highlights not just Bangladeshi products but the sector's capacity and future potential.
The expo will run until Saturday, and will remain open to visitors from 10am to 7pm. Organisers expect more than 24,000 visitors over the three days. The Bangladesh Agro-Processors Association (BAPA) and REMS Exhibitions are jointly organising the expo.
Speaking at the inauguration, the minister said the country's farmers are producing food in abundance and the priority now is to process it better, both to meet domestic demand and to boost exports. 
She added that production must also prioritise quality and safety to help Bangladeshi goods gain wider global acceptance and expressed confidence that increased production, better processing, and government policy support would drive the sector forward.
Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro attended the programme as a special guest along with Bangladesh Food Safety Authority Chairman Md Shafiqul Islam.
BAPA President Mahbub Anam; Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman and CEO of PRAN-RFL Group and chairman of the expo's organising committee; former BAPA president Abul Hashem and BAPA General Secretary Sayed Muhammad Shoaib Hasan, among others, were also present.
Ambassador Alessandro said Bangladesh has made significant progress in food processing and called it one of the industries with strong potential to further strengthen the country's economy in the future.
Food Safety Authority Chairman Shafiqul Islam said that the country’s focus now must go beyond boosting output.  The value of Bangladeshi products, along with export diversification, needs to increase, while food safety and waste reduction at the production stage require attention.
The chairman and CEO of PRAN-RFL Group, Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, described BAPA as a driving force behind the country's food processing sector and called for a broader revolution in agriculture and processing. He urged foreign investors to put more money into Bangladesh and called it an excellent investment destination undergoing an important transformation with growing potential.
BAPA President Anam said the association has worked since its founding to ensure safe food for the public and aims to strengthen the global position of Bangladesh's processed food products, calling the expo part of that broader effort to build a safe food supply chain.
Companies participating in the expo are displaying modern technologies across processing, filling, packaging, coding and marking, labelling, quality inspection, warehousing, cold chain, and logistics. AI-driven automation, machine vision, robotics, smart factories, industrial IoT, modern processing machinery, and sustainable packaging are getting special emphasis this year, with more than 4,000 technology and machinery-based solutions on display.
Participating countries include Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US.
Over the three days, more than 100 expert speakers and industry leaders will take part in regional conferences, seminars, and hands-on sessions. The co-located "Food Ingredients Bangladesh Expo 2026" is showcasing functional food and beverages, nutraceuticals, alternative proteins, plant-based formulations, and sustainable food ingredients.