Recent comments by a representative of an industry association on the interest and investment trend of foreign investors in Bangladesh have been reported in various media outlets. He claimed that Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) is only involved in G2G projects and no new foreign investment has come to the country in the last eight months. He further mentioned that BIDA has not taken any initiative to establish effective linkages between domestic and foreign investors. Besides, he expressed the opinion that in the current context, foreign investors will not show interest in investing in joint ventures. In view of all these comments, the correct and relevant information is presented below.
From October 2024 to March 2025, net foreign investment inflows totaled US$ 756 million (approximately Tk 9,247 crore).
In the last nine months:
o BIDA has registered a total of 739 industrial projects, of which 66 are 100% foreign projects and 61 are joint ventures.
o Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) has signed land lease agreements with 16 companies, out of which 6 are 100% foreign projects and 3 are joint ventures.
o Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) has signed lease agreements with a total of 31 companies.
o In total, the total proposed foreign investment has come to about 1 billion US dollars (12,220 crore taka).
Such sweeping comments on foreign investment trends are regrettable and question the image of Bangladesh. We hope that public comments on investment-related issues will be given based on accurate information, so that there is no confusion or concern among the public and the business community.
BIDA’s main responsibility is to create an investment-friendly environment through policy and institutional reforms and to create a strong investment pipeline by creating meaningful connections between domestic and foreign industrial institutions. The Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 will feature B2B networking through sector-specific sessions, organized in close collaboration with chambers of commerce, banks and other private sector stakeholders. Over 100 B2B meetings have been organized for a high-level Chinese business delegation next week with local businessmen in the textile, food processing and electronics sectors. It is worth noting that it takes time for proposed investments to mature, which is a well-known fact in investment promotion.
Supporting investors is one of the cornerstones of BIDAR’s activities, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with industry leaders to attract high-quality FDI by building knowledge, skills and global competitiveness.
