Bangladesh’s initiatives to improve its investment climate have been highlighted as a model of reform implementation at the 16th session of the Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission, convened by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. The Commission examined how developing economies are recalibrating investment policies amid a global environment reshaped by geopolitical tensions and shifting supply chains. Bangladesh and Tunisia were featured as country examples, with their initiatives and achievements discussed as useful models for other developing economies.
Key Reforms and Achievements
Representing Bangladesh, Nahian Rahman Rochi, Executive Member of Invest Bangladesh, highlighted the country’s focus on effective delivery of reforms. He emphasized the importance of removing practical barriers such as speeding up security clearances, simplifying foreign financing, clarifying capital repatriation, expanding digital services, and improving government coordination. Rochi noted that last year, these commitments were made public, progress was tracked, and results were published. This year, Bangladesh is following a 180-day plan and will soon publish the results, underscoring the discipline and commitment to continuous improvement.
UNCTAD's Assessment and Global Standing
UNCTAD’s Report on the Implementation of the Investment Policy Review of Bangladesh provided the basis for the discussion on Bangladesh. The report assessed progress since the country’s original Investment Policy Review in 2013 and noted improvements in regulatory processes, institutional coordination, digital investor services, and investment promotion capacity. UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2026 also provided further evidence of Bangladesh’s position in the global investment landscape. Notably, UNCTAD specifically named Bangladesh among the small number of least developed economies receiving Greenfield investment last year.
According to Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh’s net foreign direct investment (FDI) reached $1.77 billion in 2025, marking a 39.36 percent increase from the previous year. The report also cited Bangladesh among the countries that eased foreign-exchange restrictions in 2025, identifying the measure as one of the steps that helped improve conditions for foreign investors. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has merged the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, and Public-Private Partnership Authority to create Invest Bangladesh, bringing investment facilitation, economic zones, and public-private partnerships under one institution. This initiative, which was passed in parliament, aims to provide investors with a simpler and more coordinated institutional framework.
