The government is set to modernise bilateral investment treaties and introduce “Plug and Play” industrial facility packages in selected economic zones to bolster investor confidence, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told parliament recently.
Outlining a series of measures aimed at improving the country’s business climate, the minister said the government is updating double taxation avoidance agreements to ensure their effective implementation. He noted that the progress and effectiveness of existing agreements would undergo regular reviews.
Under the new “Plug and Play” arrangement, land, infrastructure, and essential utilities – including electricity, gas, and water – along with road connectivity and initial approvals, will be prepared in advance in a coordinated manner. This initiative is designed to allow entrepreneurs to commence production rapidly upon entering selected industrial and economic zones, reports BSS.
The minister also disclosed a significant move to integrate trade licence services from city corporations and municipalities into the national investment service system. This transition will enable entrepreneurs to apply for licences, pay fees, manage renewals, and track application progress through online platforms, reducing the need for repeated visits to local offices.
The government plans to digitise security clearance processes for foreign employees, making them time-bound to eliminate unnecessary delays while maintaining essential checks. Inter-agency approval, verification, and consultation processes will also be simplified and made fully traceable online.
These reforms follow the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in January 2026 between the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and 11 institutions to expand it’s One Stop Service (OSS) portal.
The partner institutions include four banks – Rupali Bank PLC, Dhaka Bank PLC, Bank Asia PLC, and Bengal Commercial Bank PLC – and seven city corporations: Rajshahi, Khulna, Mymensingh, Barishal, Cumilla, Gazipur, and Narayanganj. This integration allows investors to access banking services and obtain trade licences in a faster and more transparent manner, bringing the total number of institutions linked to OSS portal to 52.
