PM invites Chinese firms to invest in Bangladesh’s next growth chapter

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called on Chinese companies to expand their investment footprint in Bangladesh, inviting them to become partners in what he described as the country’s next phase of economic transformation and growth.

He made the call at 10:30am (local time) while addressing Chinese business leaders as the chief guest at the Bangladesh Investment Forum, held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Thursday (June 25).

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) organized the event.

“We are inviting Chinese companies to extend their value chain into Bangladesh. We can help Chinese companies serve global markets while benefitting from growing large domestic demand,” he said.

“Bangladesh is inviting you to co-author the next great Asian economic miracle. Many Chinese investors are already operating in Bangladesh. They can speak about our people, our resilience & our potential. They can tell you that, Bangladesh can deliver,” he added.

Tarique Rahman invited more Chinese companies to visit Bangladesh to see with fresh eyes as his government issues an unwavering commitment to investors that their investments will be valued, their concerns will be heard, and their growth will be supported through a more responsive investment ecosystem.

“Let us move forward from this forum with a shared determination to transform the opportunities in this region towards a long-term sustainable growth, economic development and mutual prosperity for both Bangladesh and China,” he said.

“Come to Bangladesh. Invest in Bangladesh. Let us prosper together in a true partnership of equals,” he added.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is undergoing a monumental economic and governance transformation.

“We are at a critical point of our journey, and I can clearly say that Bangladesh is open for business, ready for the future, and keen to work with China, one of our longstanding and trusted friends,” he said.

China is moving up the global value chain. Chinese companies are becoming leaders in advanced manufacturing, high-value infrastructure, and clean energy, he mentioned.

As China moves up the ladder, parts of the manufacturing ecosystem will look for new, competitive and trusted locations, he said adding that Bangladesh can be one of those locations.

This is a complementary, practical and win-win relationship. Words must be matched by structural actions,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said his government has taken up a rigorous 180-Day Action Plan designed to overhaul the machinery dealing with international capital to demonstrate its commitment.

“Through this plan, we are targeting bureaucratic inertia head-on. We are improving long term policy continuity, reducing overlapping regulatory processes, and digitalising government services to improve transparency, predictability and speed,” he said.

Foreign investors can expect non-discriminatory treatment, repatriation of capital and dividends in line with our laws and regulations, and robust legal protection, he said.

“We are developing dedicated industrial landing points for Chinese investors, including the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Anwara and a second economic zone in Mongla,” he said.

These locations provide logistics, port connectivity, utilities, workers, suppliers and a long-term ecosystem, he added.

“We are also working with China to upgrade our bilateral investment treaty so that investors can have stronger confidence, clearer protection and a more modern framework for investment,” he said.

“The apex investment promotion agency BIDA now has a dedicated relationship management desk for Chinese investors. As you have seen, there is also a dedicated website for Chinese investors so that sector opportunities, incentives and processes can be accessed more easily,” he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced that we will soon be opening our first “Investment Office” in China.

“Our objective is simple. Chinese investors should not have to wait until they arrive in Bangladesh to receive support. We want to be closer to you, speak to you more regularly and help you move faster from interest to decision,” he said.

“We are also working hard to improve our broader investment ecosystem. The government is about to start a new licensing approval process which will allow new businesses to start operations in Bangladesh in less than 15 days,” said the Prime Minister.

“We have just declared the national budget where we have announced sector specific incentives and policy benefits for our priority sectors across Renewable Energy, Pharma & Healthcare, Electronics, Digital infrastructure, Agro-processing and Advanced Textiles,” he said.

He said all these initiatives have one purpose: to ensure that investors and businesses can land in Bangladesh with greater ease, confidence and clarity.

“I will not stand here and say that everything is perfect. But I want to assure you that we know the issues, we are working on them, and we will continue to address them,” he said.

BIDA Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury delivered a special presentation to Chinese business leaders on the investment opportunities and incentives available in Bangladesh.

A total of 125 Chinese business representatives participated in the conference.

Water Resources Minister Md. Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Prime Minister’s Finance and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, Prime Minister’s Adviser and PMO spokesman Mahdi Amin and Deputy Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman, among others, were present there.

Source: BSS.