US-based nonprofit NRB World plans to mobilise Bangladeshi expatriates to attract foreign investment, technology and business partnerships, using their international connections to create business and employment opportunities at home.
The platform also wants to leverage a government incentive for bringing foreign direct investment (FDI) into Bangladesh, NRB World President Mohd Shahiduzzaman Torik said at a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday.
To advance the initiative, NRB World will hold the two-day “NRB World Summit 2026” at the Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka on 28–29 December, expecting more than 1,000 expatriate entrepreneurs, investors, professionals, experts and government representatives.
“We want to bring together Bangladeshis living across the world and use their knowledge, experience, skills and international connections for the country’s economy,” Torik said.
Under the plan, expatriates would introduce foreign business partners and investors to opportunities in Bangladesh, facilitating meetings with local entrepreneurs and potential joint ventures.
Torik said individuals bringing foreign investment could receive a cash incentive equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the investment amount, helping cover investor visits and business networking expenses.
He also cited government assurances on tax holidays, profit repatriation and administrative support through Invest Bangladesh. Commercial counsellors at Bangladesh’s overseas missions had been instructed to assist investment promotion, he said.
Beyond investment, NRB World wants a unified identification system for expatriate Bangladeshis, supported by a central database of their skills, professions and investment capabilities.
Torik said such a system could improve access to government services and tax benefits while strengthening the security of expatriates’ savings and investments.
“We send remittances and contribute to the country, yet we still do not have a common identification card,” he said.
Citing remittance figures, Torik said Bangladesh received $26.9b in 2024 and $32.81b in 2025, while inflows reached $30.37b through October 2026. He expects the total to reach $35b–$36b by year-end.
Remittances from Singapore reached $1.27b in 2025 and exceeded $1.4b during January–October 2026, he added.
NRB World also plans to connect expatriate doctors, engineers, researchers and technology specialists with Bangladeshi institutions to support skills development, training, technology transfer and employment.
The December summit will cover investment, trade, artificial intelligence, technology and employment. A parallel “Global Health Summit 2026” will focus on healthcare, medical research and investment opportunities.
Organisers will also unveil an international publication and announce the organisation’s executive committee for 2026–2028.
NRB World said it had contacted business groups and professionals in the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan and was developing networks across more than 50 countries.
Formally established in 2020, the organisation traces its origins to a business summit in Singapore in 2014, followed by events in Bangladesh in 2017, the United States in 2018 and Dubai between 2019 and 2021.
Torik said NRB World intended to include expatriates across income and professional groups, from prominent entrepreneurs and specialists to migrant workers.
“An internationally renowned doctor is as important to us as an ordinary expatriate worker who works hard abroad,” he said.
NRB World founder Enamul Haque Enam and directors Rehan Reza and Anisul Kabir Jasir were among those attending the press conference.
