Bangladesh Foreign Investment reached $756 million in just six months, with proposed investments nearing $1 billion. BIDA highlights strong investor interest and responds to recent misinformation.
Between October 2024 and March 2025, Bangladesh received $756 million in net foreign direct investment (FDI), equivalent to approximately Tk 9,247 crore, according to a press release issued by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) on Tuesday, 27 May. Additionally, over the past nine months, Bangladesh has seen proposals for nearly $1 billion (around Tk 12,220 crore) in foreign investment.
Addressing Recent Claims
This announcement was made in response to recent comments by a representative of an industry organization published in various media outlets. The representative claimed that BIDA has only been involved in government-to-government (G2G) projects and that no new foreign investment has entered the country in the last eight months. He further stated that BIDA has not taken any initiatives to establish effective connections between domestic and foreign investors and expressed doubt that foreign investors would be interested in joint ventures in the current environment.
In response, BIDA clarified that from October 2024 to March 2025, Bangladesh attracted $756 million in net foreign direct investment. Over the past nine months, BIDA registered 739 industrial projects, including 66 fully foreign-owned projects and 61 joint ventures.
Additionally, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) has signed land lease agreements with 16 companies, of which six are fully foreign-owned projects and three are joint ventures. The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) signed lease agreements with 31 companies. Taken together, the total proposed foreign investment stands at nearly $1 billion (Tk 12,220 crore).
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Upholding Bangladesh’s Image
BIDA expressed regret over the generalized and misleading comments, stating that such statements cast doubt on Bangladesh’s reputation as an investment destination. BIDA emphasized the importance of basing public statements on accurate information to prevent confusion or concern among the public and business community.
Building a Strong Investment Pipeline
BIDA reiterated its core responsibility to create an investment-friendly environment through policy and institutional reforms and to facilitate meaningful connections between domestic and foreign investors. These efforts aim to build a strong investment pipeline for Bangladesh.
At the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025, sector-specific business-to-business networking sessions were organized with active participation from business chambers, banks, and private sector partners. Next week, BIDA will host 100 B2B meetings between local businesses and a high-level Chinese business delegation, focusing on the textile, food processing, and electronics sectors.
Investment Maturity Takes Time
BIDA reminded that investment proposals often require time to mature, which is a well-recognized reality in global investment promotion. Finally, BIDA confirmed that assisting investors remains a key part of its activities, and it looks forward to continued cooperation with industry leaders to enhance knowledge, skills, and competitiveness in order to attract high-quality foreign direct investment.
