NRB World summit to bring 1,000 investors, expatriates
Two-day Dhaka event on 28-29 Dec aims to attract diaspora investment, business networks
Daily Sun Report, Dhaka
Published: 02 Nov 2026, 12:00 AM
NRB World President Md Shahiduzzaman speaks at a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday, announcing a two-day investment summit scheduled for December 28-29 to connect expatriate Bangladeshis and foreign investors with local businesses. PHOTO: COURTESY
US-based non-profit NRB World plans to bring roughly 1,000 expatriate Bangladeshis, foreign investors, and global professionals to Dhaka for a two-day investment summit on 28-29 December, aiming to channel diaspora capital and expertise into the country.
The NRB World Summit 2026 will take place at the Sheraton Dhaka, gathering international entrepreneurs, investors, diplomats, and local business leaders.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club on Sunday, organisers said the summit aims to foster partnerships, highlight emerging domestic industries, and generate jobs.
“Our responsibility is to build a bridge between foreign investors and Bangladesh. How they are utilised afterwards is the government’s responsibility,” said NRB World President Md Shahiduzzaman.
Shahiduzzaman added that the organisation intends to leverage a government incentive offering a 1.5% cash benefit on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, which could offset initial hosting and networking expenses.
Under the initiative, non-resident Bangladeshis will connect their foreign business partners directly with local entrepreneurs and investment opportunities.
Shahiduzzaman said the government had assured investors of tax holidays, profit repatriation facilities and administrative support.
He noted that Invest Bangladesh will offer one-stop company registration and support services, while commercial attachés at overseas missions have been directed to streamline investment procedures.
To better support the diaspora, Shahiduzzaman called for a unified identity card and unique identification number for all non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs).
He also urged the Foreign and Home Ministries to jointly build a central database tracking expatriates’ professions, skill sets, and investment capacities to simplify access to government incentives.
“We send remittances for the country, yet we still have no identity card,” Shahiduzzaman said, calling for formal recognition of expatriate contributions along with tailored tax privileges and simplified administrative processes to safeguard diaspora investments.
According to figures cited by Shahiduzzaman, Bangladesh recorded $26.9 billion in remittances in 2024 and US$32.81 billion in 2025.
Expanding on remittance trends, Shahiduzzaman noted that inflows reached $30.37 billion in the first 10 months of 2026 and are projected to hit $35-36 billion by year-end.
Remittances from Singapore alone reached $1.27 billion in 2025 and have already topped $1.4 billion this year.
Beyond financial investments, NRB World aims to leverage diaspora doctors, engineers, researchers, and tech experts to drive local skills development and job creation.
The December event will feature panel discussions on AI, energy security, trade, healthcare, and sustainable development.
Running parallel to the main event, a Global Health Summit 2026 will address medical research and healthcare investment.
Organisers also plan to launch an international publication and announce NRB World’s 2026-2028 executive committee.
To rally global participation, organisers have reached out to diaspora networks across California, New York, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, and Japan, following promotional events in the UK and France. The organisation now spans operations in over 50 countries.
Founded in 2020 following an initial summit in Singapore in 2014, NRB World has previously staged international conventions in Bangladesh (2017), the United States (2018), and Dubai (2019-2021).
NRB World Founder Enamul Haque Enam, Directors Anisul Kabir Jasir and Rehan Reza, and Regional Director Sumaiya Zaman were also present at the briefing.
