NTU team visits the plant to study the shift from assembly to manufacturing and explore export potential
[Dhaka, November 1, 2026] Smart Hi-Tech Industries Ltd, which manufactures HONOR smartphones in Bangladesh, has introduced a new surface-mount technology (SMT) line to produce smartphone motherboards locally.
The SMT line uses precision machinery to mount electronic components directly onto smartphone motherboards. Producing the boards locally would bring a key stage of smartphone manufacturing into Bangladesh, reducing reliance on imported components and kits.
A team of four Executive MBA participants from Singapore’s Nanyang Business School is visiting the company to study this transition and assess how local manufacturing could support Bangladesh’s ambitions to produce smartphones for export.
The delegation examined the new production line at Smart Hi-Tech’s factory in Kaliakair, Gazipur, alongside the company’s operations and local smartphone markets.
The visit is part of Project SmartAscend, a nine-month engagement under Nanyang Technological University’s SPAN capstone programme that runs until April 2027. The project examines the challenges and opportunities involved in expanding local smartphone manufacturing and developing export markets.
During the visit, the team met Smart Hi-Tech Group Managing Director Mohammad Zahirul Islam, visited the company’s sales office and observed retail markets and partner shops.
Mohammad Zahirul Islam said the visit would give the participants a firsthand view of the company’s production process and market conditions.
“When we opened this factory, we said Bangladesh can build world-class electronics at home. Our new SMT line takes that promise further. We are not just assembling phones; we are building them. And our next horizon is export: ‘Made in Bangladesh’ smartphones for South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and beyond,” he said.
Glen Lim, who leads the Nanyang team, said the factory visit and market observations would help participants understand the industry in practice.
“We are grateful to everyone at Smart Hi-Tech for opening their doors to us,” he said.
Smart Hi-Tech opened the factory in December 2025 with a Tk. 150 crore investment. HONOR X6c was the first HONOR smartphone produced there under the ‘Made in Bangladesh’ label.
