Job-creating investments to take centre stage at Bangladesh’s April summit

Infographic: TBS

A key investment summit is scheduled for April, where Bangladesh plans to showcase its most promising sectors to global investors and promote companies interested in investing and generating significant employment.

The organisers of the summit have said they aim to make the event a milestone, highlighting Bangladesh's investment potential and post-revolution economic reforms to create sustainable investment pipelines.

The four-day summit will highlight investment opportunities in five major sectors – Renewable Energy, Digital Economy, Textile & Apparel, Healthcare & Pharma, and Agro-processing.

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) will jointly host the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 on 7-10 April at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka.

Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of Bida and Beza, told TBS, "We are focusing on sectors with high job creation potential. Rather than prioritising investment amounts alone, we believe job creation should take precedence. For example, we would be more interested in an investor pledging $10 million to create 1,000 jobs than one investing $100 million to employ only 100 people. Our focus is on what benefits the country most."

According to the organisers, the upcoming summit has already attracted over 2,300 registered participants from 50 countries, including more than 550 foreign investors.

The top participating countries include China, the US, the UK, India, Singapore, and Japan, with the highest number of business delegations coming from China.

Ashik Mahmud said that Chinese investors are particularly interested in the renewable energy sector, along with setting up production-oriented industries in the textile and garment sector.

The summit will be formally inaugurated on 9 April at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, ambassadors, business leaders and policymakers in attendance. 

In addition, the US telecom giant Starlink will provide live internet for the opening ceremony, marking its trial launch in Bangladesh.

At Sunday's press briefing, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said the main objective of the summit is to position Bangladesh as a global investment destination. 

"Foreign investors need a clearer understanding of Bangladesh's economic landscape and growth potential. This summit will not only showcase investment opportunities but also highlight the reforms undertaken to create a more business-friendly environment," he said.

Global business leaders set to attend 

The top participating countries of the summit include China, the US, the UK, India, Singapore and Japan. 

The event will serve as a platform for global investors to explore Bangladesh's evolving economic landscape, strengthened regulatory framework, and sector-specific opportunities.

Several high-profile business leaders will be attending, including Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Zara Group; Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of DP World; Rosie Winterton, Baroness and UK trade representative; Kyeongsu Lee, VP of Samsung C&T; JunSeok Han, CEO of Giordano; Steven Kobos, CEO of Excelerate Energy; Mike Orgill, head of Public Policy for Uber Asia Pacific; and Sarim Aziz, director of Public Policy at Meta. 

The summit will also feature participation from venture capital firms such as B Capital, Gobi, Conjunction, Marubeni, and GFR, focusing on startup investments and digital economy expansion.

Ashik Mahmud said, "People abroad mostly hear negative news about Bangladesh. So, we are bringing foreign investors directly to Bangladesh, so they can visit the country and return with stories of Bangladesh's changing economic dynamics."

"Those who will participate in the summit will help create an investment pipeline from here, and we at Bida will seriously track it. Based on this, we will work to increase foreign investments," he said.

Foreign investment had been slightly down before the 2024 July-August uprising. Foreign direct investment is very small compared to GDP, below $1 billion. Given the size of the economy, this should have been ten times higher, Ashik Mahmud continued.

"This year, foreign investment may be slightly higher than last year. However, it won't jump overnight as investors do not make decisions that quickly. We have implemented several reforms to encourage investment growth. I hope that in the coming years, FDI will continue to increase two to three times each year," he added.

What investors can expect at the summit

As part of the summit's activities, a delegation of 26 members from South Korea will visit various economic zones including one in Chattogram, Mirsarai, and the Korean EPZ on 7 April, 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 8 April, 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 9 April. 

On 10 April, multiple sessions will cover key investment sectors such as digital economy, textiles, agriculture and agro-processing and healthcare. The day will also feature a matchmaking session and a roundtable discussion on global investment best practices.

The summit will include designated meeting rooms for investor discussions, with delegation rooms in the boardroom, lounge and conference halls such as Modhumati and Turag, as well as networking spaces on the second floor of Hotel InterContinental.

Ashik Mahmud said, "Bangladesh is going through a transition phase but the country is now in a good position. Our macroeconomy is stable, foreign reserves are stable, and the foreign currency exchange rate is also stable. Despite everything that happened in July-August, our exports increased. We will inform investors that our economy is on the right path."

The BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) will collaborate with various organisations to foster a stable and long-term investment environment at the upcoming summit, he said, adding that separate rooms will be allocated for these political parties at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka during the summit.

Ashik Mahmud stated that the interim government's efforts to enhance the investment climate will be continued by the next elected government, and this assurance will be communicated to investors at the summit.

Key ministries and organizations such as the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh Bank, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza), and other ministries and investment-related organisations have also been allocated dedicated rooms.

Key partners for the event include UNDP, FCDO, Grameenphone, the World Bank, and FICCI, highlighting the collaborative efforts to attract FDI in Bangladesh.