The Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 took place in Dhaka this week marking a milestone event aimed at reinforcing the country's commitment to economic progress, investment-friendly policies, and sustainable growth.

At the opening session of Bangladesh Startup Connect 2025, Tanveer Ali, Chairman of Constellation Asset Management Company Ltd, delivered the keynote address.

The session featured a high-level plenary moderated by Sadia Haque, Co-Founder and CEO of Sharetrip, with panelists including Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of BIDA; Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, ICT Division; Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, Governor of Bangladesh Bank; Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Secretary of the Finance Division; and Shish Haider Chowdhury, Secretary of the ICT Division and Chairman of Startup Bangladesh Ltd.

The summit sought to present a "genuine view" of Bangladesh to global investors by showcasing real stories of investment opportunities across various sectors, according to the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA).

Delegations from China, the UK, the US, Singapore, South Korea, and India are among the international participants attending the summit, organisers said.

Key global figures participating include Baroness Rosie Winterton, UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh; Jarno Syrjälä, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade at Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World; Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex; Mike Orgill, Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, APAC at Uber; Kyeongsu Lee, Vice President of Samsung C and T; Jon Omund Revhaug, Executive Vice President and Head of Telenor Asia; and Han Jun-seokt, CEO of Giordano Korea.

On the opening day, a delegation of investors visited the Korean Export Processing Zone. They also visited the Mirsarai Economic Zone in Chattogram. Participants also toured the Japanese Economic Zone in Araihazar. Additional highlights include a matchmaking session and a roundtable discussion on global best practices in investment.

Key partners for the event included UNDP, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Grameenphone, the World Bank, and the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry-underscoring the collaborative push to drive foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh.

An agreement was signed with NASA during the summit, and five domestic and international investors were honoured for their contributions.

Over 550 top-level officials from more than 40 countries, including Bangladesh, participated in the event, converging to explore opportunities, share innovative ideas, and celebrate milestones in the country's investment landscape.

Chief Adviser takes the stage

Describing Bangladesh's long journey, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said Bangladesh is a country with "crazy ideas" which make those ideas happen and urged foreign investors to look at Bangladesh seriously on the investment front and change the world by joining hands together.

"Bangladesh is a country with crazy ideas to change the world and to make things happen. So, we invite you to join that club to not only change Bangladesh by your business but also change the world," he said while speaking at the formal inauguration ceremony of the four-day Bangladesh Investment Summit that began on Monday, April 7.

Dr Yunus said they do not look at Bangladesh alone but see the whole region which is very powerful with lots of resources. "We work together and facilitate each other."

He said business in Bangladesh is not only for Bangladesh, it could be for the whole world.

Sharing the success stories of Grameen Bank and Grameenphone, the Chief Adviser said Bangladesh ground is very fertile. "You put a little bit of seeds, it becomes global. We welcome you to join us with that mission - creating a new world - for the whole world."

He said whoever thought that microcredit which started in a tiny little village now would be a prime business in the United States in the name of Grameen America. "It is growing very fast."

The 2006 Nobel peace prize winner said he kept reminding people that they can add a little piece of social purpose while doing business. "You will have fun ....if you want to make a business with the purpose along with the business we do, Bangladesh is the place," he added.

Dr Yunus reiterated that making money is happiness but making other people happy is super happiness.

"If you have business in Bangladesh you have got happiness and supper happiness. That you get extra with no additional cost. You will be proud of what you have done. It impacts the life of people massively," he said.

Dr Yunus said business is the most powerful mechanism by which one can change the world by coming out from the narrow approach.

"You earn money but earning money together and changing the life of the people together, is a fun that is something immeasurable. Each of your company can enjoy super happiness by expanding and reaching out to the impact that you made," he said.

The Chief Adviser underscored that they can create a world of 'Three Zeros' and it can be done with the business, not by the government.

"The government cannot achieve that," he said, adding that it is not the function of the governments but it is the function of individuals - human beings. "We are human beings. We can change the world."

Noting that the business has given a big power tool to the people's hands, the Chief Adviser said new civilization will be such a civilization where there will be no carbon emission. "Let's create a new civilization where we are wide and open to embrace the world," Dr Yunus said, adding that business gives a big powerful tool in the hands.

Discouraging wealth concentration, he said it is fun to make money but wealth concentration is the most dangerous thing to human beings. "It destroys the whole world."

He also stressed on zero unemployment at the summit, saying the young generation can change the world as they have technology and innovative ideas.

Fabric Lagbe Ltd (innovation category), Walton, bkash (foreign investment), and Square Pharmaceutical (local company) were honoured with Excellence in Investment Award 2025 at the event. The Chief Adviser handed over the awards.

"Everyone you saw on the stage receiving awards has very powerful crazy ideas and made them happen," Dr Yunus said.

Dr Yunus briefly shared the stories of 1971 and the sacrificed made for the country's independence apart from highlighting the difficulties that the country faced in 1974 due to "famine" throughout the country

"1974 is the year that we cannot forget, people died of hunger and there was a famine throughout the country," he said, adding, "If you take that journey from 1974 to 2025, it is an amazing journey.... Bangladesh came a long way in a short period of time."

The Bangladesh Investment Summit-2025 was seen as a milestone event, reinforcing the country's commitment to economic progress, investment-friendly policies, and long-term growth.

Baroness Rosie Winterton, UK's Trade Envoy to Bangladesh, Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex and Apex Footwear Limited Managing Director Syed Nasim Manzur spoke as the government wanted to know foreign and local investors' views on the investment front.

Advisers to the interim government, including Finance Adviser Dr Salahuddin Ahmed, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, LGRD Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain and Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), among others, joined the inaugural event.

SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed and Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam also joined the event with Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi welcoming all.

World Bank report

Bangladesh could attract significant investments and create millions of jobs by implementing essential reforms across four sectors, according to a World Bank Group report released during the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025.

The new Bangladesh Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) report highlights that with targeted policy actions, Bangladesh could create 2.37 million jobs annually in the construction industry by supporting the construction of new housing units, generate over 664,000 formal jobs by expanding domestic paint and dye production, and create between 96,000 to 460,000 new jobs through digital financial services reforms.

The report identifies four sectors-green ready-made garments (RMG), housing for middle-income families, paint and dyes, and digital financial services-where policy actions can help remove barriers to private investment. The report outlines specific, near-term steps the government can take to attract investment in these sectors, generate jobs, remain competitive after graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, and strengthen the domestic economy.

"The World Bank Group's findings offer valuable guidance for shaping policies and strategies that promote private sector-led growth and establish the institutional foundations essential for sustainable economic progress in Bangladesh. The interim government is dedicated to fostering growth by creating a more conducive business environment and supporting the expansion of emerging industries, ultimately leading to job creation," said Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority.

"With new and emerging challenges, Bangladesh needs urgent and transformative policy and institutional reforms to help firms expand domestically and compete globally and create millions of jobs for its youth entering the labor market every year," said Gayle Martin, World Bank interim country director for Bangladesh.

"This Country Private Sector Diagnostic recommends concrete policy actions to overcome barriers to private sector growth and job creation in the country. The World Bank Group stands ready to collaborate with the government and all stakeholders to help Bangladesh stay on strong and inclusive growth path," he added.

"The World Bank Group's findings offer valuable guidance for shaping policies and strategies that promote private sector-led growth and establish the institutional foundations essential for sustainable economic progress in Bangladesh. The interim government is dedicated to fostering growth by creating a more conducive business environment and supporting the expansion of emerging industries, ultimately leading to job creation," said Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, better known as Ashik Chowdhury, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority - very much the man of the moment during the summit.

"With new and emerging challenges, Bangladesh needs urgent and transformative policy and institutional reforms to help firms expand domestically and compete globally and create millions of jobs for its youth entering the labor market every year," said Gayle Martin, World Bank interim country director for Bangladesh.

"This Country Private Sector Diagnostic recommends concrete policy actions to overcome barriers to private sector growth and job creation in the country. The World Bank Group stands ready to collaborate with the government and all stakeholders to help Bangladesh stay on a strong and inclusive growth path," Martin added.

"As part of the World Bank Group, IFC is committed to supporting Bangladesh to strengthen its private sector and drive economic growth," said Martin Holtmann, Country Manager IFC, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal.

"The CPSD provides a strategic roadmap, identifying sectors and the key reforms needed to enhance their competitiveness and attract investment. By working together, we can create jobs and opportunities to improve the livelihoods of the people of Bangladesh, to accelerate sustainable economic development."

The Bangladesh CPSD launch was followed by a panel discussion on the report's findings by Lutfey Siddiqi, Bangladesh government's envoy for international affairs, and Ashik Chowdhury, as well as private sector leaders.

They pressed home the point that Bangladesh is an emerging economy with a rising population, making it essential to remove barriers to private investment, and create new opportunities for growth. The suggested policy actions have relevance beyond the selected sectors and demonstrate the potential for policy reform in other parts of the economy to enhance the investment climate, safeguard jobs, and build on ongoing development achievements.