The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), held a divisional workshop in Rangpur to gather stakeholder feedback for the Survey of Industries in Bangladesh.
The workshop was held on Sunday at the RDRS Guest House in Rangpur, bringing together government officials, investors, private-sector representatives, academics and chamber leaders to discuss the survey’s objectives, methodology, investment opportunities and business challenges.
The BIDA-led survey, funded by ADB with technical support from SANEM, aims to identify challenges faced by investors and create an updated industrial database to support investment decisions and evidence-based policymaking.
The survey will cover foreign-owned companies, joint ventures and domestic enterprises, collecting information on establishments, employment, investment, business challenges and possible solutions.
BIDA Executive Member Md Humayun Kabir said the initiative would help identify investment obstacles and improve investment facilitation by incorporating regional realities into policymaking.
SANEM Executive Director Selim Raihan said the survey would provide a realistic picture of Bangladesh’s industrial and investment landscape, helping policymakers identify priority sectors and areas requiring support.
ADB Bangladesh Public Sector Economist Tasnim Alam highlighted the importance of the survey ahead of Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category, saying accurate information would help assess future needs and improve the business environment.
Participants at the Rangpur workshop highlighted the region’s potential in agriculture, agro-processing and traditional industries while pointing out challenges related to energy, infrastructure, finance and logistics.
The survey findings from the workshops will be compiled into a report for BIDA, while an Investment Compendium for Bangladesh will be prepared to showcase investment opportunities across sectors.
