Imran Khan, a prominent American investor of Bangladeshi origin and former Chief Strategy Officer of Snapchat, met with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka on Saturday and expressed interest in investing in Bangladesh.
Khan, 48, moved to the US at the age of 18 to pursue higher studies and later earned recognition as an investment banker specializing in technology companies. During the meeting, Yunus encouraged him to explore opportunities in Bangladesh’s growing fintech, healthcare, and social business sectors, reports BSS.
“I am a great admirer of your work. You are a national pride for all of us,” Khan said Yunus, adding that he was inspired by Yunus’s lifelong mission to eradicate poverty and believed now was the right time to invest in his homeland.
Khan, currently Chairman of the Board at Aleph Holding, gained global prominence for his pivotal role in Alibaba’s record-breaking IPO and for helping scale Snapchat, where he played a key role in boosting the company’s valuation from zero to US$728 million in just months. A former banker at JP Morgan and Credit Suisse, Khan has also been closely following Bangladesh’s investment climate since the interim government took office in August last year.
“The timing is favorable; the regulatory environment has become more enabling,” Khan observed. He expressed particular enthusiasm for the rapid growth of fintech, calling Bangladesh “a frontier market with an underpenetrated fintech opportunity, a large young population, and enormous growth potential.”
Khan is also the founder and CEO of Proem Asset, an investment firm launched in 2018 that focuses on concentrated investments in sectors undergoing technology-driven transformation, especially fintech. His portfolio includes ventures in payments, digital infrastructure, and related industries.
Chief Adviser invited Khan to visit Bangladesh in the coming months to explore opportunities firsthand. In response, Khan said he would plan a trip soon. “Bangladesh’s young people need role models like you. It’s an exciting time back home—you can help inspire a new generation,” Yunus told him.
SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was also present at the meeting.
