The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) on Tuesday said the country received foreign investment proposals worth US$1 billion in last nine months.
The authority, therefore, rebutted recent claims by ‘an industry representative’ that foreign direct investment (FDI) has dried up and that the BIDA is inactive in promoting joint ventures or engaging with investors.
In a statement, BIDA said that between October 2024 and March 2025, Bangladesh received net FDI worth $756 million (around Tk 9,247 crore), directly countering the claim that no new foreign investment come in the past eight months.
Over the past nine months, BIDA registered 739 industrial projects, including 66 wholly foreign-owned and 61 joint ventures, the statement noted.
Additionally, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) signed land lease agreements with 16 companies – six of which are fully foreign-owned and three joint ventures.
The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) signed similar agreements with 31 companies.
‘In total, the proposed foreign investment during this period stands at nearly $1 billion (Tk 12,220 crore),’ BIDA said.
The authority expressed concern that ‘sweeping and misleading statements’ regarding FDI trends risk tarnishing the country’s image and urged all stakeholders to base public comments on accurate data.
BIDA emphasised its role in fostering a conducive investment climate through policy and institutional reforms and in building effective connections between local and foreign investors.
The agency also pointed to its efforts at the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025, where it organised sector-specific B2B networking sessions in collaboration with business chambers, banks, and other private sector partners.
It further announced that over 100 B2B meetings have been arranged for an upcoming high-level Chinese business delegation visiting next week, focusing on textiles, food processing, and electronics.
‘Foreign investment typically takes time to mature – a widely recognised reality in investment promotion,’ the statement added.