Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin. -File Photo

DHAKA, March 27, 2025 (BSS) - Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin has said it's 
'high time' to make both local and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 
Bangladesh since things are going in the right direction while the progress 
is evident day by day.

"I would say this is the right time. So, please go and invest here ...I am 
witnessing that the problems are being addressed every day while the progress 
is also evident everyday and it will go towards betterment," he said.

The Commerce Adviser said this while giving an interview to the national news 
agency recently at his office at Bangladesh Secretariat.

When asked to rate the overall confidences of the private sector over the 
past seven and half months, he said, "I don't see anything bad. After the 
mass uprising on August 5, 2024, things went into the right direction and 
towards a better way. It will further improve. So, it is the 'high time' for 
making investments in the country," he said.

Bashir said considering the financial and revenue policy of the previous AL-
regime over the last nearly 16 years, attempts were made to create 'crony' in 
the country's economy.

He alleged that instead of ensuring distribution of resources or ensuring 
balanced distribution of resources, just opposite things happened in the 
country during that period.

The Commerce Adviser said there should be equal distribution of capital while 
making investments, but the capital went into wrong directions during that 
period through money laundering and also through those who went into hiding 
after laundering money abroad.

"Now we're cruising through such a situation where capacity matters and I 
think the future environment of course might be far better. But, I think a 
full friendly environment now prevails in the country for investment," he 
noted.

He went on saying, "So, investment should be made... the government will make 
more trade liberalization in the coming days beyond LDC graduation."

Considering these, Bashir said the more opportunities and problems would be 
created, there would be much more investments to address the problems through 
tapping the potentials.

He said there would be problems due to LDC graduation apart from creating 
opportunities, but those problems should have to be addressed through making 
investments.

Officials and businesses concerned said the declining trend of FDI in 
Bangladesh in recent years is a bit concerning, especially amid high 
inflation, rising unemployment, and increasing financial liabilities.

Experts cited political instability, economic uncertainty, bureaucratic 
inefficiencies, inconsistent policies, high inflation, currency volatility, 
and inter-agency misalignment as key reasons behind the decline in FDI.

Even low labour costs have failed to attract foreign investors, as a 
combination of these factors-along with rising corruption and nepotism in 
more than 15 years of Awami League's rule-ultimately pushed up the cost of 
doing business in Bangladesh.

The situation turned worse last year amid month-long protests and the Awami 
League's violently oppressive actions to suppress the uprising, which halted 
production, disrupted the supply chain, and negatively impacted foreign 
trade.

Currently, the government is taking steps to review existing policies, 
identify inconsistencies, and make necessary adjustments.

As part of its initiatives, the government is going to organise the 
'Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025' from April 7 to 10 at InterContinental in 
the city, showcasing the country's evolving investment opportunities and 
economic reforms.

The summit aims to showcase Bangladesh's investment potential, highlight the 
economic reforms following the July revolution, and create long-term 
investment pipelines for sustainable economic growth.

Over 3,000 investors from 50 countries including China, the US, the UK, 
India, Singapore, and Japan will take part at the summit.

As part of the summit's activities, a 26-member delegation from South Korea 
will visit Chattogram, Mirsarai, and the Korean EPZ on April 7, providing 
foreign investors with an on-ground view of Bangladesh's investment 
landscape.

Additionally, a startup-focused event will take place on the same day at 
Hotel InterContinental Dhaka. On April 8, international investors will visit 
the Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (BSEZ) in Araihazar, Narayanganj, 
followed by an evening networking session.

The main event will be inaugurated on April 9 by the Chief Advisor to the 
Government of Bangladesh, alongside ambassadors, policymakers, and business 
executives. 

The day's agenda includes the Youth Entrepreneurship Expo and a breakout 
session on renewable energy hosted by the European Union and UNDP. 

A cultural night, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, 
will showcase Bangladesh's rich heritage to foreign investors.

On April 10, multiple breakout sessions will cover key investment sectors 
such as digital economy (led by Citi NA and UNDP), textiles (HSBC and BGMEA), 
agriculture and agro-processing (Dutch Embassy and LCP), and healthcare 
(Inspira, EBL and Sajida Foundation). 

The day will also feature a matchmaking session and a roundtable discussion 
on global investment best practices.