<p>Fish living in natural and aquaculture environments may be easily contaminated by toxic trace elements owing to diverse anthropogenic activities relating to different geographical areas. This study measured the concentration of trace elements (Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, As, and Hg) in the gills, liver, and muscles of wild and cultured Asian sea bass, <i>Lates calcarifer</i> (Bloch, 1790) collected from Patuakhali and Khulna regions in Bangladesh, respectively. Samples were collected in the summer and analyzed by using the atomic absorption spectrometer. The mean concentration of trace elements (mg kg⁻¹) was as follows: Fe (6.908) &gt; Zn (1.467) &gt; Cu (0.397) &gt; Mn (0.338) &gt; Cr (0.151) &gt; Cd (0.003) and Fe (6.291) &gt; Zn (1.243) &gt; Pb (0.494) &gt; Cu (0.205) &gt; Cr (0.117) &gt; Cd (0.005) in wild and cultured Asian sea bass, respectively. Moreover, As and Hg concentrations were below the detection limit. The mean concentration of Cr and Cu was significantly (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) higher in wild Asian sea bass than in cultured Asian sea bass, respectively. The concentrations of trace elements in wild and cultured Asian sea bass did not exceed the maximum permissible limits, except Cr and Pb. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values for all the concerned trace elements except Pb (0.478&#xa0;mg/day) were lower than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) values. The human health risk assessed by Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Hazard Index (HI), and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) ensured that eating Asian sea bass would not create any possible threat to people inhabiting the Patuakhali and Khulna regions. Therefore, the Asian sea bass from these two commercial regions may be safe for human health. Further study is advisable to determine trace element concentrations in Asian sea bass by applying artificial diets in culture systems and concentrations of trace elements in sediments and water from both environments before making any recommendations.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>