Speaking at a Bangladesh-Malaysia Business Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Professor Yunus highlighted the interim government’s proactive steps to improve the investment climate, including reforms aimed at removing trade barriers and enhancing economic openness.
“Business in Bangladesh didn’t progress as it should have in the past,” he said. “But in this new Bangladesh, many possibilities are emerging—and business is one of the most promising.”
He underscored Bangladesh’s youthful, creative population as a key asset for foreign investors, urging Malaysian companies to tap into the country’s vibrant workforce and the potential of the global Bangladeshi diaspora.
“Our young people abroad are eager to contribute to the nation’s development,” he noted.
The forum opened with a presentation by Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA).
He outlined Bangladesh’s competitive advantages and detailed efforts to eliminate both tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade.
Vivek Sood, CEO and Managing Director of Axiata Group; majority shareholder of Robi, a leading cellular operator in Bangladesh—shared insights from Axiata’s 28-year journey of growth and partnership in the country.
The event drew high-level participation from Malaysian industry leaders, including Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President and Group CEO of Petronas; Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir, Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional; senior officials from Sime Darby Plantations, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK), IOI Corporation and Felda Global Ventures (FGV); Syed Faisal Albar, Chairman of Proton Holdings Berhad and Lim Wee Chai, Executive Chairman of Top Glove Corporation.
Ahead of the forum, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in Putrajaya, marking a step forward in bilateral economic cooperation.
SH