The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), and the Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) are set to be unified under the Invest Bangladesh Bill, 2026, passed in Parliament on Wednesday. Once the law comes into effect, Invest Bangladesh will operate as the country’s apex investment development agency under the Prime Minister’s Office, aiming to simplify, speed up, and coordinate investor services.
The Invest Bangladesh Authority will integrate investment promotion, industrial zone management, and public-private partnership functions under a single institutional framework. It will also provide single window clearance, one-stop services, and digitalize approval and licensing processes. The bill is expected to reduce policy inconsistencies, avoid duplication across agencies, and strengthen coordination across related functions.
Key features of the bill include bringing declared industrial areas, economic zones, and free trade zones under an integrated framework; defining procedures and timelines for licences and approvals; clarifying the approval framework for PPP projects; enabling simplified approval of small PPP projects through relevant ministries; and allowing unused government land, establishments, shares, and rights to be used for productive purposes.
Once effective, the Invest Bangladesh Bill will repeal the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Act, 2016, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Act, 2010, the Public Private Partnership Act, 2015, and the One Stop Service Act, 2018, consolidating their mandates under Invest Bangladesh. Ashik Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of BIDA and BEZA, and CEO of PPPA, praised the move, highlighting its potential to attract private investment and support job creation.
The passage of the Invest Bangladesh Bill is a crucial step in the government’s 180-day plan to improve the business-enabling environment, announced in March 2026. It aims to support higher domestic and foreign investment, faster industrialisation, expanded public-private partnerships, and job creation, presenting Bangladesh’s value proposition more strongly in the global investment landscape.
