Business Report :
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh rose by 19.13 percent in the year following the July 2024 mass uprising, bucking the global trend of declining investment after political unrest, according to data released by the World Bank and Bangladesh Bank.
The figures were shared Monday by Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), through a Facebook post titled “FDI Picture Post-Mass Uprising.”
Despite political uncertainty, the rise in investment signals continued confidence in Bangladesh’s economic resilience.
“Bangladesh’s greatest strength is its ability to bounce back despite challenges. Normally, foreign investment drops sharply after a mass uprising, but we are seeing the opposite,” said Ashik Chowdhury, citing the country’s strong performance compared to several others.
According to World Bank data, FDI dropped by 27.6 percent in Sudan (2019), 19.49 percent in Sri Lanka (2022), 15.68 percent in Chile (2019), 81.21 percent in Ukraine (2014), 107.55 percent in Egypt (2011), and 161.45 percent in Indonesia (1998) during the first year following major political movements.
In contrast, Bangladesh’s ability to attract higher FDI reflects its stable macroeconomic policies, improved coordination among regulatory bodies, and confidence from both domestic and foreign investors, Chowdhury said.
He credited the success to the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh Bank, the PPP Authority, and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) for maintaining investor-friendly policies and supporting private sector growth.”We have always tried to assist investors. Not all problems are solved yet, but our goodwill has never been lacking,” Chowdhury added.
Looking ahead, he noted that while FDI inflows could slow down temporarily before the upcoming national election, investment is expected to stabilise afterwards as confidence continues to recover.He urged all stakeholders to focus on the long-term potential of Bangladesh’s economy rather than short-term political or market fluctuations.Chowdhury also announced that BIDA plans to publish a comprehensive annual report summarising the year’s investment performance soon.
Economists say the upward FDI trend marks an encouraging sign of Bangladesh’s growing appeal as a resilient investment destination in South Asia, even amid domestic and global uncertainties.
