Govt Creating Ecosystem to Ease Business Operations: BIDA Chief

Speaking at the opening session of "Bangladesh Startup Connect" during the four-day investment summit at the Intercontinental hotel, Harun highlighted that the country is undergoing a transformative phase, presenting a unique opportunity to reshape the business landscape.

“We are at a pivotal moment in the country’s evolution, with a chance to fundamentally improve the ecosystem that has supported us so far,” he said.

He emphasized that the experience of physically being in Bangladesh, engaging with its community, startups, and youth, drastically alters the perceptions formed through desk research.

Harun further stressed the role of BIDA in bridging the country’s local assets with global investment opportunities. “Our challenge as an investment promotion agency is to connect the resources available in Bangladesh with the liquidity flowing from global markets,” he explained.

The BIDA chief also pointed to specific obstacles, such as the cumbersome process of obtaining trade licenses. He proposed a rethinking of the system, asking whether businesses truly need a trade license at all and if so, whether it should be a one-time issuance, similar to a birth certificate, rather than requiring annual renewals.

"This may seem like a small issue, but it illustrates the depth of change needed. We must overhaul processes like this to create a business ecosystem that makes operations simpler and more efficient,” Harun concluded.