Invest Bangladesh recognised among top LDC agencies

Invest Bangladesh has received special recognition as an Outstanding Least Developed Country (LDC) Investment Promotion Agency at the WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards in Geneva, Switzerland.

The award was presented on Tuesday alongside the 30th World Investment Conference organised by the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), which is being held in Geneva from 10 to 12 November.

Riaz Hamidullah, Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, received the award on behalf of Invest Bangladesh.

An independent international jury selects investment promotion agencies from LDCs for the special recognition based on the quality of their achievements and submitted initiatives.

The recognition highlights Bangladesh’s efforts to improve its investment climate, strengthen investor services and make government institutions more responsive to businesses.

Among the initiatives highlighted by the jury were BanglaBiz, the country's integrated digital investment gateway, which connects investors with more than 142 services across 47 government agencies, and Invest Bangladesh’s role in facilitating APM Terminals’ $550 million Laldia Container Terminal project.

Bangladesh introduced several investment climate reforms in 2025 following consultations with nearly 200 local and foreign investors. The measures included extending bonded warehouse facilities to partial exporters and simplifying procedures for foreign borrowing and capital repatriation.

The government also launched the Ambassador Programme to coordinate efforts among agencies to resolve longstanding issues faced by major investors, including Youngone. The FDI Heatmap identified 19 priority sectors to guide investment promotion.

Building on these initiatives, Invest Bangladesh announced a 180-day investment action plan in March 2026, focusing on infrastructure development, easier access to government services and faster implementation of prospective investment projects.

The merger that formed Invest Bangladesh also brought investment facilitation, economic zones and public-private partnership activities under one authority.

Ashik Chowdhury, chairman of Invest Bangladesh, said the recognition reflected the collective efforts of the government, its partners and the agency's officials to create a more investor-friendly environment.

He thanked the government for supporting the reforms and the partners for helping implement them.

Bangladesh’s net foreign direct investment grew by around 39% in 2025, according to Invest Bangladesh. The agency is currently tracking a pipeline of $1.3 billion in prospective investments across several sectors and source markets.

Turning these potential investments into operational projects remains a priority as Bangladesh seeks to become a regional manufacturing hub.