Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus stated that over the past eight months, the government's primary goal has been to simplify investment procedures in Bangladesh. “Never before has there been such a favourable environment for foreign investment in the country,” he said.
He made the remark during a meeting with a delegation of Chinese investors at the state guesthouse Jamuna on Tuesday.
According to Professor Yunus, the investment-friendly environment and reforms in trade and labour laws introduced by the interim government are expected to attract more foreign investment and facilitate the relocation of additional manufacturing units from China and South Korea to Bangladesh.
To further accelerate investment and address existing challenges, he announced plans to host a breakfast meeting specifically for Chinese and Korean investors. “The executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) will hold monthly breakfast meetings on the 10th of each month with Chinese and Korean investors,” he said. Although BIDA will organise the events, the chief adviser himself will attend some of these meetings to directly hear from the investors.
He also proposed the establishment of a dedicated hotline and call centre service for foreign investors so that they can easily lodge complaints. “Any investor can call this number to register their complaints, and we will act accordingly,” he said.
According to the chief adviser’s press wing, at least 30 Chinese investors—representing major global corporations in sectors like infrastructure, power, transport, renewable energy, textiles, mobile telecommunications, waste management, logistics, and IT services—participated in the meeting.
The delegation was led by Pauline Ngan, vice president of Mainland Headwear Holdings Limited, one of the world’s largest firms based in Hong Kong. Representatives from Chinese companies expressed interest in investing in both the Chinese Economic Zone in Chattogram and the proposed zone in Mongla, where China is also ready to help modernise a seaport.
Responding to the chief adviser’s call to turn Bangladesh into a global manufacturing hub, several companies expressed their intent to establish Bangladesh as their South Asian base for production and operations.
Some major Chinese companies also showed interest in investing in electric vehicle (EV) conversion, lithium-ion battery production, wind energy, and offshore photovoltaic solar power generation.
South Korea to make major investments
Earlier, several dozen South Korean investors also met with the chief adviser and promised large-scale investments in Bangladesh. Additionally, Korean fashion and retail companies showed keen interest in sourcing garments from Bangladesh, citing the country’s efficient and well-coordinated supply chain.
The Korean delegation included representatives from LG and top entrepreneurs from leading sectors such as textiles, fashion, spinning, logistics, healthcare, power, and renewable energy. One investor expressed a desire to set up an API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) plant in Bangladesh.
The meeting was also attended by Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, and Principal Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Lamiya Morshed.
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
