BIDA expects visible initiatives of investment within three months

Bangladesh secured fresh investment commitments and advanced discussions on energy security, industrial development and trade cooperation during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visits to Malaysia and China.

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chairman Ashik Chowdhury said this during a press briefing at the foreign ministry on Saturday following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s back-to-back visit to Malaysia and China.

The BIDA chief said attracting foreign investment and addressing energy shortages were among the government’s top priorities during the high-level engagements.

He said the government expected to announce several concrete initiatives over the next three months aimed at addressing energy bottlenecks that continue to constrain industrial growth.

Bangladesh held extensive discussions with Malaysian state energy giant Petronas on oil and gas infrastructure and ways to increase gas supplies to support industries facing energy constraints.

“Our immediate focus is how to reduce the challenges faced by existing investors due to gas shortages and improve the overall investment environment,” he said.

According to the BIDA chairman, the Bangladeshi delegation also met major Malaysian investors operating in logistics and telecommunications, several of whom expressed interest in expanding investments in Bangladesh.

He also said that a significant area of discussion was the development of Bangladesh’s halal economy.
Following Malaysia’s recognition of the Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh under the country’s halal certification framework, officials explored opportunities to integrate Bangladesh into regional halal supply chains.

“Discussions were held with several industry operators on establishing a halal industrial park and positioning Bangladesh as a production and export hub for halal food and cosmetics destined for Asian markets, including China,” he said.

About investment seminar in China, he said that one Chinese company had proposed developing a large-scale “green city” project in Bangladesh entirely through its own investment.

He said the Prime Minister instructed officials to provide policy support and facilitate land allocation to accelerate implementation of promising projects, with BIDA tasked with maintaining direct engagement with prospective investors.

Bangladesh and China also made progress on the long-discussed Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone project in Anwara, Chattogram.

Highlighting the government’s emphasis on speedy implementation, the BIDA chairman said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman challenged developers of the Anwara economic zone to establish the first factory within 18 months, despite the overall project timeline extending to seven years.

“The developers have accepted the challenge and indicated that ground-breaking work will begin next month,” he said.

The BIDA chief also underscored efforts to improve Bangladesh’s international image through closer engagement with the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The investment promotion drive continued in Beijing, where BIDA organised an investment forum attended by around 80 Chinese business leaders, including chief executives, chairmen and presidents of major companies.

During the forum, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conveyed the message that Bangladesh was “absolutely open for business” and emphasised the country’s political and economic stability following the recent national election.

Chowdhury said investors had been informed about the government’s commitment to policy continuity, including the introduction of a five-year taxation outlook in the latest national budget.

The chairman also announced that BIDA had launched a Chinese-language version of its website, offering investment data, research reports and business information tailored to Chinese investors.

He expressed confidence that recent engagements with both Malaysian and Chinese partners would translate into tangible investments, improved energy security and accelerated industrial development in Bangladesh.