Bida, Beza, PPPA merge as Invest Bangladesh takes effect
New authority to streamline investor services, reduce barriers.
The Invest Bangladesh Authority, formed by merging the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) and Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA), formally began operations today (20 August).
The government issued a gazette notification bringing the Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026, into force.
The notification, signed by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar by order of the president, said the government had brought the Act into effect using powers granted under Section 1(2).
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However, the full organisational structure of the new authority, including its wings and teams, will be developed in phases, said Nahian Rahman Rochi, former Bida executive member and head of business development.
"With the gazette now in effect, everything will operate under the Invest Bangladesh name. Formation of the new teams and wings, along with the remaining work, will now begin in phases," Rochi told The Business Standard.
He said the authority had formally become operational and the remaining organisational work would proceed gradually.
"We are delighted that, after months of work, Invest Bangladesh has now gone live and begun its journey. The genesis of this initiative came directly from investors telling us that they wanted one front desk for all investor services," Rochi said.
Our objective will be to make Invest Bangladesh that single point of access, providing investors with a more coordinated, seamless and accountable experience throughout their investment journey, he added.
Under the law, the Invest Bangladesh Authority will operate as a statutory body, with its headquarters in Dhaka. With government approval, it will be able to establish branch offices elsewhere in the country and liaison offices abroad.
The authority will have a chairman and seven members to run its regular operations, with the chairman serving as chief executive.
Its key responsibilities will include identifying investment opportunities, promoting domestic and foreign investment, removing investment barriers and coordinating with relevant ministries and government agencies.
Following the merger, all existing assets, records, contracts, liabilities and other matters of Bida, Beza and PPPA will be transferred to the new authority. Employees of the three dissolved agencies will also work under Invest Bangladesh.
The new authority is expected to provide more integrated services to investors and reduce barriers to investment, formally completing the long-running merger process.
