Three strengths, one agency: BD enters new era of investment

In a historic move to revamp the nation’s business climate, the Parliament on Wednesday passed the “Invest Bangladesh Bill, 2026,” unifying three major investment promotion bodies into a single entity.

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), and the Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) will now operate under a consolidated identity: Invest Bangladesh.

Operating directly under the Prime Minister’s Office, the unified authority will serve as the country’s central agency for investment promotion, industrial zone management, and public-private partnerships.

The law will formally come into effect following a notification in the official gazette, marking a major milestone in the government’s 180-day plan announced in March 2026 to overhaul the nation’s business environment.

The structural unification addresses long-standing demands from domestic and international business communities, as well as recommendations from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), to eliminate bureaucratic red tape and agency overlap.

Once operational, the Invest Bangladesh Bill will repeal previous separate acts including the BIDA Act 2016, BEZA Act 2010, PPPA Act 2015, and the One Stop Service Act 2018 bringing all mandates under one institutional umbrella.

Under the new agency, investment approvals, licensing, registrations, import-export clearances, and incentive distributions will be managed through an integrated digital single-window platform.

Key features of the legislation include standardized timelines for service delivery, an integrated framework for economic and free trade zones, a streamlined approval mechanism for small PPP projects, and provisions to convert unused government land, rights, and assets into productive industrial use.

By bridging policy inconsistencies and cutting down inter-agency overlap, Invest Bangladesh establishes a modern investment management framework aligned with global best practices.

Industry insiders believe this sweeping modernization will act as a major catalyst for pulling in high-value foreign direct investment (FDI), accelerating industrialization, and generating massive employment opportunities across the country.