Bida to host investment seminar in Beijing to attract Chinese investors

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), in collaboration with the Bangladesh Embassy in China, will host an "Invest Bangladesh" seminar in Beijing today (25 June), aiming to attract long-term Chinese investment in key sectors of the country's economy.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to attend the event as the chief guest.

Around 80 Chinese companies, most with extensive international operations and investment experience, are expected to take part in the seminar.

"Most of the participating companies have an international footprint and are potential long-term investors in Bangladesh," Nahian Rahman Rochi, executive member and head of business development at Bida, told The Business Standard.

The event will feature a presentation titled "Why Invest in Bangladesh", highlighting the country's investment opportunities, competitive advantages and ongoing reform initiatives. Investors will also have the opportunity to engage directly with Bangladeshi officials through a question-and-answer session.

The seminar will showcase opportunities in sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare, textiles, information technology, agro-processing and automotive industries.

"We will also be holding several bilateral one-to-one meetings with prospective and existing businesses from these sectors," Rochi said.

He added that Bida will present a range of recent initiatives aimed at addressing long-standing investor concerns, particularly regarding policy continuity and deregulation.

"China-specific initiatives, including Bida's office in China, the Chinese Economic Zone and the Chinese Desk at BIDA, will also be highlighted," he said.

According to Bida, Chinese investors have shown growing interest in sectors including electronics, semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries, advanced and technical textiles, logistics, medical devices and IT-enabled services.

The agency plans to promote Bangladesh's competitive advantages in these sectors, including its large workforce, market access and export potential.

Speaking at an event in Dhaka on 18 June, Bida and Beza Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury said advancing the Chinese Economic Zone would be one of the key investment priorities during the prime minister's visit to China.

"We expect to see meaningful progress that could pave the way for the commencement of on-the-ground work at the Chinese Economic Zone," he said.

Ashik also said China has expressed interest in establishing a second economic zone in Mongla, adding that important decisions on the proposal could emerge during the visit. Progress may also be made on establishing a BIDA representative office in China.

He noted that China has remained one of Bangladesh's leading sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) over the past five years, prompting the government to advance several investment promotion initiatives ahead of the Beijing seminar.

According to the latest Bangladesh Bank data, net FDI inflows into Bangladesh rose 39.36% year-on-year to $1.77 billion in 2025, compared with $1.27 billion in 2024.

China was the second-largest source of net FDI during the period, after the Netherlands.