There’s something compelling about pharmaceuticals, the business is never merely business. It directly impacts human health, affects families, shapes communities. By fostering innovation, the industry plays a pivotal role in advancing healthcare and meeting unmet medical challenges. You must genuinely love what you do, because the pressures are relentless and the stakes are extraordinarily high.
My father saw the same vision when he started the company which was then a modest pharmaceutical facility with tremendous potential. Everyone questioned it—the equipment was outdated, prospects seemed unclear. Yet he imagined something different—a Bangladesh manufacturing medicines at global standards, at prices our people could afford. That vision required building capabilities most companies never attempted.
The strategic commitment
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard’s Google news channel
When I stepped into leadership, I faced a critical choice: continue optimizing existing operations, or make a bold investment in transforming our capabilities. We chose transformation.
We committed $250 million to build a new 30-acre manufacturing facility designed to meet FDA and UK MHRA standards. Within five years, we’re targeting certification from both agencies. This represents our most significant commitment—redesigning how we manufacture entirely.
Why does this matter? FDA approval unlocks markets most Bangladeshi companies never access. The facility enables us to produce formulations we currently import—advanced cephalosporins, cancer medications, specialized eye treatments. Instead of copying what others make, Orion is building capacity to address real therapeutic gaps in our region and beyond.
Innovation born from crisis
Covid-19 forced us to think differently about everything. When production couldn’t stop, we moved quickly. We constructed living facilities for factory workers in less than a month—something normally taking months. I was on-site daily, solving problems alongside our teams in real-time.
That crisis taught us supply chains require more than efficiency. You need redundancy, genuine relationships, systems that anticipate problems. These principles became foundational to how Orion operates.
When post-pandemic chaos emerged—freight costs tripled, ingredient shortages spread, currency volatility disrupted planning—Orion was ready. Supplier partnerships spanning decades proved invaluable. Partners prioritized us because we’d built genuine mutual interest over transactional relationships. We also implemented global monitoring systems tracking ingredient availability in real-time. That approach to supply chain management separates companies that survive from those that lead.
Competing through innovation
With more than 250 pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh, differentiation is essential. Most compete on price. Orion competes on different dimensions.
First, we innovated our quality approach. Simple principle: we don’t produce anything we wouldn’t give our families. That personal accountability shapes every decision—from raw material selection to final distribution.
Second, we innovated product strategy. Rather than competing in crowded generic categories, Orion is planning numerous new product launches in specialized areas—biotechnology products, cancer treatments, specialized eye formulations, and hormonal therapies—where we create genuine value for patients and healthcare systems.
Third, we innovated market engagement. Instead of broad promotional spending, we build deep relationships with key opinion leaders and pharmacy professionals, understanding their actual needs through direct engagement.
Building a culture that embraces new thinking
Most organizations claim to welcome ideas but rarely implement them. Orion does. We invite ideas from every level, evaluate on merit, and execute promising ones. We communicate why rejected ideas weren’t chosen—that honesty builds trust.
We deliberately break down organizational silos. Supply chain insights combined with production knowledge and market understanding produce better solutions. We treat the organization as family—genuinely, not sentimentally—with honest feedback, real development, and genuine accountability.
Where our industry stands
Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical sector is experiencing exceptional growth. The market reached Tk37,000 crore with an impressive annual growth rate of over 12%, according to latest IQVIA data. This expansion is driven by rising healthcare demand, increasing per capita income, and strong confidence in locally manufactured medicines.
Export performance strengthens continuously, with pharmaceutical exports rising 3.46% year-on-year to $177.42 million in recent months. The industry is on track to surpass $450 million in annual export earnings, solidifying Bangladesh’s position as a key global supplier of affordable generic drugs. Bangladesh’s LDC graduation in November 2026 brings multinational competitors with superior resources. This positions Bangladesh as a leading player in the global pharmaceutical supply chain.
The government’s API Park initiative could fundamentally transform our raw material independence. Companies like Orion are positioning to capitalize on this shift, building entire supply chain approaches around local ingredient sourcing.
Beyond numbers: Purpose drives everything
Our five-year targets—18-20% average annual growth, doubled export volumes, 50 new product launches—reflect genuine capability analysis and real market opportunity.
But purpose drives the vision. Orion makes medicines accessible to people who couldn’t afford them. Scholarships we fund help talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Jobs we create enable families to build better futures.
That’s why we invested $250 million in our future. That’s why we navigate complex international markets. That’s why we demand excellence from every team member.
We’re not just manufacturing medicines. We’re building healthcare infrastructure, developing expertise, and contributing to Bangladesh’s industrial future. When work connects that directly to human impact, you approach challenges entirely differently.
The path forward
Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry stands at an inflection point. Companies that think strategically—building capabilities before markets demand them, investing in quality without compromising affordability, approaching supply chains and manufacturing differently—will lead this evolution.
I’m confident Orion Pharma will be among them. We’ve made the commitments, assembled the teams, and established the relationships. We understand what’s required.
We’re building something genuinely worth building—for our people, our industry, and our nation. That conviction sustains us through every pressure, every setback, every challenge ahead.