The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (SANEM) on Wednesday held a stakeholder dialogue in Mymensingh as part of an ongoing nationwide industry survey aimed at building a comprehensive investment database and strengthening evidence-based policymaking.
The workshop brought together government officials, businesses, investors and local stakeholders to explain the scope of the Survey of Industries in Bangladesh, identify regional investment opportunities and bottlenecks and seek cooperation in data verification.
BIDA Executive Member Md Humayun Kabir said the government plans to integrate BIDA and four other investment promotion agencies under a single platform to centralise investment-related information and services. He said the survey would fill gaps in investment data beyond project registration, strengthen BIDA’s One Stop Service and support employment, regional development and economic growth.
BIDA Director General Gazi AKM Fazlul Haque said the study would generate reliable investment data while mapping regional products and export-oriented sectors, including agriculture and manufacturing, to support better policymaking. He urged businesses to provide accurate information for the survey.
ADB Public Sector Economist Tasnim Alam said Bangladesh needed to attract substantially more foreign direct investment ahead of its graduation from least developed country status. He described the government’s move to seek a deferment of graduation as necessary to avoid losing key trade preferences before the country is fully prepared.
He said the survey would help address the absence of a centralised investment database and called on businesses and institutions to cooperate.
SANEM Executive Director Selim Raihan said the nationwide survey would identify investment bottlenecks, recommend policy solutions and create a unified investment database to support evidence-based policymaking. He said the initiative would strengthen investment promotion by integrating the database with BIDA’s One Stop Service platform.
SANEM Programme Director Zubayer Hossen said the survey covers all major economic sectors, ownership structures and firm types across Bangladesh’s eight administrative divisions. Similar stakeholder workshops will be held across the country to support implementation, he added.
Mymensingh Divisional Commissioner S M Humayun Kabir Sarkar said the survey could help transform the region’s agriculture-based economy by identifying industrial opportunities and addressing resource and policy constraints.
Deputy Commissioner Md Saifur Rahman said Mymensingh had untapped potential in food processing, information technology, leather and livestock. He said surplus production of jackfruit, pineapple and rice could support export-oriented industries with greater investment.
Participants in an open discussion also highlighted opportunities in fisheries, agro-tourism and agro-processing while calling for improved industrial infrastructure and targeted investment support for the Jamalpur Economic Zone.
