Investment Summit: CA urges investors to build businesses in Bangladesh with a social purpose
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has urged global investors to maximise their profits by building businesses in Bangladesh with a social purpose.
"Not only change Bangladesh by your business, change the world. I keep reminding people, yes you want to make profit, go ahead make profit. Maximise as much as you can. But we can add a little peace into it. Social purpose. You don't have to get disrupted by that. It's something that you can do. You have fun. Like many of you do already. So if you want to make a business with a purpose along with the business that we do, Bangladesh is the place," he said at the official inauguration of the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 this morning (9 April).
Speaking as chief guest at the landmark event aimed at shaping Bangladesh's investment future, Yunus set the stage for four days of dialogue, discovery, and strategic collaboration.
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Describing Bangladesh's long journey, Yunus said Bangladesh is a country of "crazy ideas" which make those ideas happen and urged the foreign investors to look at Bangladesh seriously on the investment front and change the world by joining hands together.
"It's an amazing journey...that Bangladesh came a long way in a very short time," he said, adding that Bangladesh is the place for making investments.
Addressing investors, he said, "If you have business in Bangladesh you will have both, happiness and super happiness. That you get extra with no cost. You will be proud of what you have done. Like the people who stood here, felt that, super happy, did something which impacted people's lives massively. With a country of famine, we're not talking about global entry to the businesses and everything. And at the same time I'm just pointing out, which has been pointed out already, we don't look at Bangladesh alone, it is only one piece of the economy. We see the whole region, a very powerful region, with lots of resources. We work together, facilitate each other.
"I underscore by saying we can create 'a world of three zeros'. It can be done with the businesses, not by the government. The Government cannot achieve that, that's not the function of the government. It's the function of individuals. We are human beings, we can change the world. Business is a big powerful tool in our hands," said the chief adviser.
"You put a little bit of seed. It becomes global…And business gives us a big, powerful tool in our hand. And the new civilization, I say, should be a civilization where there'll be no carbon emission. We can do that. That's where business innovation comes in. All we have to do is just pay attention to that side. No carbon emission. It's a self-destructive system if you allow carbon emission to continue. No wealth concentration. It's fun to make money, but wealth concentration is the most dangerous thing to a human being."
Stating that wealth concentration will destroy the whole world, he said young people get excited about zero unemployment because all are entrepreneurs, not job seekers. "Think like an entrepreneur. Make things happen. And Bangladesh is a place to see that."
Referring to a time when the garment industry flourished in the country, he said, "We're a country of farmers, landless farmers. We didn't have any land, much land. No little. Only in the 70s, early 60s maybe. Some crazy young guys from the universities dared to enter into something which is happening in the country because of the business interest of other countries, the garment industry. They said, why not us? That was the beginning of the garment industry in Bangladesh. Those crazy young guys."
Stating that there is a need to address challenges for generations to come, he said, "Boys and girls, somehow in entrepreneurship in the past, women were left out. We have some, but very few. But women are as creative as entrepreneurs as anybody else. Together, those young generations will change the world."
"It's not just a business with limited ideas, which is good. But you can have another space that remains unutilised. Let's use this too. And the business in Bangladesh is not only for Bangladesh. That's the point. It could be for the whole world," said the chief adviser.
The Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 began on Monday (7 April), offering a prime platform to highlight the country's potential investment opportunities across five key sectors – renewable energy, digital economy, textile and apparel, healthcare and pharma, and agro-processing.
Jointly hosted by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), the summit will take place from 7-10 April at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka.
Set against the backdrop of Bangladesh's evolving economic landscape, the summit aims to emphasise the country's readiness for transformative growth, positioning it as a dynamic hub for foreign investment.
This initiative arrives at a critical time, following concerns over the country's investment climate due to political shifts and industrial unrest in August 2024.
Today, the topic of renewable energy was discussed, focusing on "Unlocking Bangladesh's Potential for a Green Energy Transition".
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Finance Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin and Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), among others, were present.
SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed and Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam joined the event where Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi welcomed all.
Five companies and individuals were honoured for their significant contributions.
Among them, Youngone Corporation Chairman Kihak Sung was honoured with lifetime honorary award and citizenship.
Since domestic investors are major drivers, leading businessman Syed Nasim Manzur spoke as the government wants to know local investors' views.
