Executive Chairman of BIDA Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun briefed at Foreign Service Academy on Sunday. Photo: PID

DHAKA, April 6, 2025 (BSS) – The four-day ‘Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025’ will begin in the city from tomorrow showcasing the country's evolving investment opportunities and economic reforms.
 
The summit aims to showcase Bangladesh's investment potential, highlight the economic reforms following the July revolution, and create long-term investment pipelines for sustainable economic growth.
  
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will formally inaugurate the main event of the summit in the presence of ambassadors, top business executives, and policymakers on April 9 as the first two-day’s schedule includes a number of side events for invited investors.  

During a press briefing at the city's Foreign Service Academy, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun today said 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 significant reforms undertaken to create a more business-friendly environment, he added.
 
He said the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 is set to be a milestone event, reinforcing the country’s commitment to economic progress, investment-friendly policies, and long-term growth.
 
Organized by BIDA, the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 — is set to take place in Dhaka from April 7-10.
 
Over 550 global participants from around 50 countries are expected to participate in the summit.
 
Delegations from China, the UK, the US, Singapore, South Korea and India are among the global participants.
 
On April 7, the investors will visit the Korean Export Processing Zone and Mirsarai Economic Zone in Chattogram.
 
"A delegation is coming from South Korea. We see this as a very positive outcome," Chowdhury Ashik said.
 
On April 8, the foreign participants will visit the Japanese Economic Zone at Araihazar.
 
The main event will be held at a city hotel on April 9 where Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will join. 
 
"It's a collective effort. Private sectors and embassies (foreign missions in Dhaka) are equally involved," said the BIDA Executive Chairman.
 
"We will have more focus on bilateral meetings," he added.
 
Chowdhury Ashik said they want to give a picture to the global investors that it is a different environment and the long-term view is still very positive.
 
He said there will be dedicated rooms for three political parties- BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party - so that the investors can get a view on the political front.
 
Chowdhury Ashik said there will be more rooms for having bilateral meetings, and there will be a corner for signing MoUs and agreements keeping eyes on future investment.
 
A cultural segment will also be there to present Bangladesh before the foreigners featuring its rich cultural heritage, he added.
 
The BIDA Executive Chairman also said April 9 will be a demo day for using Starlink.
 
Several high-profile business leaders will be attending, including Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Zara Group; Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World; Rosy 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.
 
On April 10, multiple breakout sessions will cover key investment sectors such as digital economy (led by Citi NA & UNDP), textiles (HSBC & BGMEA), agriculture and agro-processing (Dutch Embassy & LCP), and healthcare (Inspira, EBL & Sajida Foundation).
 
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.
 
Key partners for the event include UNDP, FCDO, Grameenphone, the World Bank, and FICCI, highlighting the collaborative efforts to drive foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh.
 
Organized by BIDA, the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 introduces the Excellence in Investment Award, a hallmark initiative celebrating investors shaping Bangladesh’s economic future.
 
This honor recognizes enterprises for their transformative contributions in areas such as investment scale, environmental stewardship, regulatory adherence and employment generation.