BSS . Dhaka :
Bangladesh has attracted more than US$21.17 billion worth of investment proposals in the last two years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020, according to statistics released by the various investment promotion agencies of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has received $2.5 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2020-2021 financial year while the country received $2.37 billion FDI in 2019-2020, according to Bangladesh Bank.
These investment proposals were received by the four government-run investment promotion agencies (IPAs) despite multiple lock-downs due to repeated Covid-19 waves that reflect the growing investor appetite for investment into the Bangladesh economy.
Of these, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the apex investment promotion agency of Bangladesh, has recorded $14.77 billion investment proposals since the beginning of the pandemic.
Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) has attracted $5 billion while Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) has attracted $1.35 billion worth of investment proposals.
BIDA attracted $7.12 billion investment in 2020, of which $4.85 billion worth of proposals came from local Bangladeshi investors while foreign investors and joint venture proposals were worth $2.26 billion.
Till December 20, 2021, the total amount of investment proposals reached $7.65 billion, including $6.85 billion in local investment and $806.27 million worth of foreign/joint venture proposals, according to BIDA statistics.
“These are extraordinary successes of our collective efforts to attract investment into Bangladesh – a land of opportunities – and comes as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our independence,” said BIDA Executive Chairman Mohammad Sirazul Islam.
“We have achieved this in an unprecedented and challenging time when COVID-19 pandemic has reversed economic gains in most parts of the world,” he added.
He mentioned that this is the result of the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose government has provided political, economic and social stability – the pre-requisite for attracting foreign investment.
This also reflects growing investor interest among foreign and local investors to invest in Bangladesh where economic growth will accelerate to one of the highest in the world, he added.
