BIDA chief Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun spoke at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun on Sunday said that the ‘Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025’ had created immense potential to bring Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) side by side local investment.

“Time will tell whether the Investment Summit has been successful. The summit has yielded initial investment proposals worth Tk 3,100 crore (Tk 31 billion). Several additional investment proposals are currently in the pipeline,” he said.

The executive chairman shared the information at a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital's Bailey Road area on Sunday.

The BIDA chief highlighted the success of the Investment Summit, noting that 415 foreign delegates from 50 countries attended the event.

He further said BEZA will maintain follow-up communications with the attendees to ensure progress along the investment pipeline. He hoped that similar investment events would be organised by future governments as well.

Ashik Chowdhury, however, said the government has cancelled the licenses of 10 economic zones. “I have already said earlier that there is no need for 100 economic zones. Today, the licenses of 10 economic zones have been canceled. We think that these are not needed," he added.

The lists of cancelled economic zones include five government economic zones and five private economic zones.

The cancelled government economic zones are: Sonadia Eco Tourism Park, Cox's Bazar, Sundarban Tourism, Bagerhat, Gajaria Economic Zone, Munshiganj, Shreepur Economic Zone, Gazipur and Mymensingh Economic Zone, Mymensingh.

The cancelled private economic zones are: 'Garments Industries Park' proposed by BGMEA, Munshiganj, Chatak Economic Zone, Sunamganj, Famkam Economic Zone, Bagerhat, City Special Economic Zone, Dhaka and Sonargaon Economic Zone, Narayanganj.

During the previous government, BEZA gave an approval to establish 97 economic zones nationwide. Of the total, 68 are in government and 29 in private sectors.

Head of Business Development at BIDA Nahiyan Rahman Rochi shared additional statistics of the summit.

Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 has begun at Intercontinental Dhaka on April 7, 2025. 

The summit started with a panel discussion where Ashik Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of BIDA; Dr Ahsan H. Mansur, Governor of Bangladesh Bank; Faiz Ahmad Taiyab, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser responsible for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology; and Shish Haider Chowdhury, Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division joined as panelists.

In the panel discussion, Faiz Ahmad Taiyab mentioned that the interim government is working hard so that any future government of Bangladesh cannot shut down the internet.

"We are working to declare the internet as a civic right in Bangladesh," said Faiz. Mentioning that the NGSO guidelines do not have any provisions for internet shutdown, Faiz added that the interim government is working to amend the controversial clauses of the Telecommunication Act 2001 so that the internet cannot be shut down legally.

BB governor Ahsan H. Mansur highlighted the potential growth of startups in Bangladesh by giving an example of bKash.

"I want to see at least 10 unicorns like bKash in Bangladesh in the future," said Mansur.

ICT Secretary Shish Haider mentioned the preparedness for a 'Fund of funds', which the interim government is working on by accumulating various investments.

The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) wants to successfully implement not 100, but 5 economic zones. The organization says that if these five economic zones are successfully implemented, it will create a positive perception among everyone. BEZA expects that 133 industries will be built in the 5 economic zones within two years, 5.5 billion US dollars will be invested and about 238,000 people will be employed.

BEZA Executive Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury said this at a 'Meet the Press' event held in Agargaon in the capital on Tuesday. At the event, he outlined some short-term and specific plans of BEZA within two years. Ashiq Chowdhury took over the responsibility of BEZA Executive Chairman after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.

The previous Awami League government took the initiative to establish 100 economic zones in the country. However, in the last decade, no successful economic zones have been established except for a few private zones. In such a reality, the interim government has taken up a short-term and time-bound plan to establish 5 economic zones instead of 100 economic zones.

At the event, Ashiq Chowdhury said, "I believe that there will be no need to establish 100 economic zones in the country. If 10 zones are fully launched in the next 10 years for the development of Bangladesh, the purpose of the economic zones will be successful. However, I am not completely ruling out the establishment of 100 economic zones. It will be part of the long-term plan."

The executive chairman of BEZA announced plans to implement five economic zones in the next two years as part of the short-term priority plan. These are the National Special Economic Zone (NSEZ) in Mirsarai, Chittagong, Srihatta Economic Zone, Jamalpur Economic Zone, Maheshkhali Economic Zone and Japanese Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Ashiq Chowdhury said that a time-bound plan has been taken to ensure infrastructure and other services in these five economic zones. He said that all the water, electricity, gas and connecting road works of Srihatta, Jamalpur and Japanese economic zones will be completed by this year. And the aforementioned works of Mirsarai NSEZ and Maheshkhali economic zone will be completed by 2026.

In addition, BEZA announced at the event that a 10-year time-bound plan will be taken for the Chinese Economic Zone, Sabrang Tourism Park, Chandpur Economic Zone, Kushtia Economic Zone and Kurigram Economic Zone. This means that the organization will work with these 10 economic zones as the highest priority in the next 10 years.

In addition, a time-bound plan and roadmap will be taken for private EZs, said Ashiq Chowdhury. He said that a time-bound plan will also be taken for determining the criteria for approval of private economic zones and providing various services to these zones.

Other plans

Ashiq Chowdhury said that after taking charge, he spoke to various stakeholders including investors. Investors have complained about the lack of proper access to various services including gas and water, lack of policy consistency, and corruption and quality of government services. Some initiatives have already been taken to resolve these problems. For example, the land allocation approval process has been brought directly under BEZA and a fully digital document process has been launched in BEZA.

There are abandoned jute mills or closed factories and lands in different parts of the country. Ashiq Chowdhury said that they are planning to bring some such places under BEZA and make them suitable for setting up industries. He said that these places have gas-electricity-water; communication system and local community. As a result, it will be easy to set up industries in such places. Some such initiatives can be seen within six months.

The head of the organization said that initiatives have been taken to take up solar power projects on unused land owned by Beza in various places. He said, "As part of this, we have started a feasibility study for a solar power project on vacant land in Mirsarai."

Ashiq Chowdhury said that the Korean EPZ (KEPZ) located in Anwara, Chittagong, has already been moved from the office of the Chief Advisor and brought under the control of BEZA.

Six companies with a total investment of around $457 million signed a land lease agreement with the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) on Wednesday (21 September).

The companies are Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Limited, Ifad Motors, East West Travels and Tours Ltd and three firms of Dipta Group – DIRD Composite Textiles Ltd, Dipta Garments Ltd and DIRD Garments Ltd.

Beza Executive Member (Administration & Finance) Abdul Azim Chowdhury, Healthcare Pharmaceuticals' Director Md Halimuzzaman, Ifad Motors Managing Director Taskin Ahmed, DIRD group Director Miz Shejuti Daulah and East-West Travels' Managing Director Mahmudul Hasan signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Five of the firms will be allocated the plots at the Sabrang Tourism Park, and one at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Chattogram's Mirsharai. 

All the plots span a total of 17 acres as the investments are expected to generate at least 8,219 jobs, said Beza officials in conditions of anonymity.

Speaking on the occasion, Beza executive chairman Sheikh Yusuf Harun said Beza has been successful in building an investment-friendly environment in Bangladesh where the largest industrial city in South Asia is being constructed in Mirsharai.

"The economic zone is set to bring an industrial revolution which will improve the living standards of people alongside achieving the sustainable development goals," he said adding, "Beza has adopted several initiatives to establish a world-class tourism centre in Sabrang Tourism Park."   

Sabrang Tourism Park will be the first exclusive tourism park in Cox's Bazar district encompassing an area of 1,027 acres. Sabrang has an amazing hill and sea beach territory. The purest air, lofty hill, sea and lagoon offer the perfect conditions for the development of tourism and entertainment facilities.

Ifad Motors, a subsidiary of Ifad Group, is a local industrial giant with prominence in consumer goods and commercial vehicles. It will get plots at the Sabrang Tourism Park to plough into $16.20 million to build a 3-star hotel and resort.

According to Ifad's investment proposal, the 10-storied hotel will have 370 rooms. There will also be leisure spots, recreational venues, a convention centre and tourist transportation.

Welcoming the deal signed today, Ifad Motors Managing Director Taskin Ahmed pledged to start building the hotel ASAP, while DIRD Group Director Miz Shejuti Daulah hoped that the investments will receive highest cooperation from Beza.

Coming into operations in 1984, DIRD Group is involved in garment manufacturing, textile, engineering, software and agricultural sector. The three firms of the group will also get plots at Sabrang.  

They will build cottages, resorts, hotels and motels at a total investment of $38.21 million, according to the investment proposal. The group expects at least 669 people will be employed at the new businesses.

The fifth company East West Travels and Tours Ltd, established in 1988, will also build a hotel at Sabrang on 1 acre of land.  

Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of the leading local drug-makers in Bangladesh, will get a 10 acre of land at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar. Beza has already allotted 30 acres of land to Healthcare Pharmaceuticals at the Bangabandhu Silpa Nagar. The drug-maker said it needs another 10 acres of land for business expansion in active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulated pharmaceuticals products.

The company will invest $4০০ million to set up its new plants at Shilpa Nagar to expand its manufacturing capacity.

Calling the agreement a milestone, Healthcare Pharmaceuticals' Director Md Halimuzzaman hoped that medicine raw material imports will decline after they start producing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients at home. 

Beza is implementing the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar – the country's largest industrial city in the south-eastern swathe – on 30,000 acres of land at Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas of Chattogram and Sonagazi upazila of Feni. 

Beza is working toward establishing 100 economic zones across the country by 2030, which will generate 10 million jobs for the locals. It also expects to produce and export products worth $40 billion annually in and from these economic zones.

Investors can avail of tax holiday, duty-free imports of raw materials and machinery, exemption from dividend tax, VAT-free electricity, gas and water and other fiscal facilities in the zones.