The government has drafted a revised Gold Policy to bring the countryâs gold sector under a formal legal and institutional framework, with a focus on ensuring transparency, accountability and greater oversight of the trade.
The proposed Gold Policy 2018 (Revised) 2026 aims to increase legal gold imports, curb smuggling, expand jewellery manufacturing and exports, and raise government revenue.
The government has sought written feedback from relevant agencies and stakeholders on the draft, including their views on possible implementation challenges, by August 9. Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir gave the instruction at a meeting on the draft policy at the Secretariat in Dhaka, chaired by Commerce Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan. BAJUS President Enamul Haque Khan, Export Promotion Bureau Vice Chairman Mohammad Hasan Arif, and representatives of Bangladesh Bank, the National Board of Revenue and other agencies attended the meeting.
The minister said the gold industry has long contributed to the economy but has remained largely outside a formal institutional framework due to inadequate policies, regulation and monitoring. He stressed the need to properly document legally imported gold from storage to sale and maintain records of transactions at every stage. To discourage smuggling, he called for keeping the gap between domestic and international gold prices at a reasonable level, while considering global prices and rates in major trading hubs such as Dubai when setting duties and taxes.
 The revised policy also seeks to support jewellery manufacturing and exports by facilitating lower-duty imports of raw materials, enabling local manufacturers to add value and compete in global markets. Before finalising the policy, the government plans to examine the import procedures, tariff structures, stock management, export facilities and monitoring systems of three to four gold-exporting countries, including India, and incorporate suitable measures for Bangladesh after reviewing stakeholder feedback.
