Investment, Jobs Take Priority Over Politics: Bida Chief

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun on Tuesday emphasised that investment and employment are matters of national interest and should be prioritised above party or political agendas.

He made the remarks at a stakeholder discussion held at the Bida headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, attended by representatives from 17 political parties.

“Bida is working tirelessly to foster a conducive environment for investment,” Ashik said. “We face a number of challenges, but today’s dialogue is an opportunity to exchange views on overcoming these issues—both in the immediate future and in the longer term.”

The discussion aimed to gather recommendations from political parties on sustaining policy reforms and ensuring a stable investment climate. Drawing on consultations with over 200 local investors and stakeholders, Ashik highlighted five major challenges facing investment in Bangladesh: quality of government services, policy continuity, industry consultation, corruption, and access to resources.

Participants were briefed on Bida’s ongoing and planned reforms to address these challenges and were invited to offer feedback.

Bida’s Head of Business Development, Nahian Rahman Rochi, presented an overview of current reform initiatives, insights from the recent Investment Conference, and the authority’s roadmap for the coming months.

Political leaders present at the event stressed the importance of supporting both domestic and foreign investors. They called for coordinated efforts with relevant ministries to improve infrastructure, simplify legal frameworks, introduce effective training systems, uphold labour rights, and promote environmentally sustainable investments.

They also underscored the need to safeguard national sovereignty, regional security, and economic interests, while expressing strong support for Bida’s reform agenda.

“In our next session, we will present a separate reform roadmap focused on local investors,” Ashik said. “No decision will be made that compromises national interests. The Chattogram port belongs to all of Bangladesh—we aim to transform it into a world-class facility while ensuring national and regional security.”

He expressed optimism about continuing regular dialogue with political parties to build consensus around economic development.

Representatives from political platforms including Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Committee, Liberal Democratic Party (NDM), Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Gono Samhati Andolan, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Amar Bangladesh Party, Nagorik Oikko, Bangladesh National Socialist Party, Bangladesh Communist Party, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islamic Front, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Khelafat Majlis, Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Socialist Party, and Islamic Front Bangladesh participated in the meeting.