Summit 2025 Unlocks Major Investment Potential: BIDA Chief

Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, on Sunday said that the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 has created significant potential for both foreign and local investment in the country.

“Only time will reveal the full impact of the summit, but the early signs are promising,” he said at a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital’s Bailey Road area. “So far, initial investment proposals worth Tk 3,100 crore have been received, with several more currently in the pipeline.”

The BIDA chief highlighted the success of the summit, pointing out that 415 foreign delegates from 50 countries participated in the high-level investment gathering. He noted that BEZA will maintain follow-up communications with attendees to ensure continued engagement and progress along the investment pipeline.

Looking ahead, he expressed hope that future governments would continue organizing such platforms to promote Bangladesh as a global investment destination.

During the briefing, Ashik Chowdhury also announced the cancellation of licenses for 10 previously approved economic zones, citing a reassessment of necessity. “As I have mentioned before, we don’t need 100 economic zones. Today, licenses for 10 zones—five government and five private—have been revoked,” he said.

The cancelled government economic zones are:

    Sonadia Eco Tourism Park, Cox's Bazar

    Sundarban Tourism Zone, Bagerhat

    Gajaria Economic Zone, Munshiganj

    Shreepur Economic Zone, Gazipur

    Mymensingh Economic Zone, Mymensingh

The cancelled private zones include:

    Garments Industries Park (proposed by BGMEA), Munshiganj

    Chatak Economic Zone, Sunamganj

    Famkam Economic Zone, Bagerhat

    City Special Economic Zone, Dhaka

    Sonargaon Economic Zone, Narayanganj

Under the previous government, BEZA had approved the establishment of 97 economic zones nationwide—68 in the public sector and 29 in the private sector.

Nahiyan Rahman Rochi, Head of Business Development at BIDA, also shared detailed statistics from the summit, further underlining the momentum it has generated in driving both foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic engagement.