Ensuring a stable law and order situation, uninterrupted energy supplies and a return to sustainable economic growth are the top expectations from the next elected government, business leaders say.
They warned there is little room for error, urging the incoming administration to avoid repeating policies that have weakened the economy in recent years.
Restoring confidence will require a credible and implementable roadmap spanning the short, medium and long term, said Taskeen Ahmed, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh.
He said tackling lawlessness, ensuring adequate energy supply and rolling out a comprehensive programme to support the survival and revival of private-sector growth should be among the government’s immediate priorities after the election.
Factories are operating in “survival mode” and the situation demands urgent attention, said Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries.
He said legacy problems left by the ousted government—particularly outside the banking sector—were barely addressed from a national perspective during the interim period, continuing to weigh on local industries, investment and job creation.
As the global order shifts, Bangladesh needs a government capable of carefully managing diplomacy, trade and investment, he added, warning that the country cannot afford missteps at this stage.
Business leaders say idle machinery has become a growing burden, leaving little scope for new investment across many sectors.
Former International Business Forum of Bangladesh President Humayun Rashid said the same factors that keep local investors on the sidelines also explain why foreign direct investment inflows remain weak.
The long-standing tendency within government to ignore the private sector’s views must come to an end, said Azam J Chowdhury, chairman of East Coast Group and a former president of the Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies.
Businesses want a government that listens to their concerns on easing the cost of doing business, boosting investment, sustaining growth and creating jobs, he said.
Bureaucratic bottlenecks remain the single biggest hurdle facing entrepreneurs, said Mohammed Amirul Hoque, president of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association.
Bangladesh qualified for least developed country graduation despite many unresolved structural problems, and the global community must now reassess this in light of domestic and international challenges following the political transition, said Taskeen Ahmed.
He criticised the interim government for pursuing LDC graduation unilaterally and said the elected government should prioritise the strength and future of the national economy.
An anti-protection stance gained ground during the International Monetary Fund programme, but Bangladesh should study how comparator countries protect local industries, said Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury.
Speaking with TIMES, he said weakening enterprises has wider consequences for the economy that policymakers must recognise.
As factory closures, job losses and high inflation continue to push more people below the poverty line, Bangladesh needs a revival of gross domestic product growth in a sustainable manner, business leaders said.
Growth has no alternative for a rising economy like Bangladesh, they said, while calling for a fair and realistic pace of development projects.
Steel and cement mills are operating at only 30 to 40 per cent of capacity, a situation that is unsustainable and could eventually drag down banks and the wider economy, said Bangladesh Steel Manufacturers Association President Mohammed Jahangir Alam.
Bangladesh needs large-scale infrastructure to improve logistics, which will require upfront capital but deliver returns over decades, said Mohammed Amirul Hoque.
Deregulation is a major expectation of businessmen, who believe it would help attract fresh investment, they said.
Reviving a virtually non-functional capital market and rebuilding a vibrant ecosystem is another key expectation, said Mohammed Jahangir Alam.
Business confidence depends first on a sense of security and a government willing to listen on issues of business, investment and job creation, said Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury.
The year 2025 was the worst in nearly four decades of business due to the interim government’s policy approach and such practices should not continue under an elected administration, said Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Mohammad Hatem.
Facilitating cottage, small and medium-sized enterprises should be a top priority for the next government, said Taskeen Ahmed.
Nothing will be sustainable without the rule of law, good governance and transparency, the entrepreneurs said, stressing the need for a stable banking sector that facilitates investment.
