foodpanda Partners with Duranta Bicycle of RFL Group

In 2024, Bangladesh’s vehicle market shrank to its lowest in a decade amid soaring costs, strict foreign currency controls, and declining purchasing power. Only 308,000 vehicles were registered, a sharp drop from previous years.

Bangladesh Bank has announced a Tk 9.0 billion startup fund aimed at accelerating economic growth by providing capital to new enterprises. The fund will be distributed through commercial banks and is part of the government's initiative to foster innovation and investment in the startup sector.

Bangladesh has unveiled a series of bold reforms and financial initiatives aimed at easing business operations and energizing the startup ecosystem. At the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025, the central bank announced a Tk900 crore equity fund dedicated to startups, alongside an additional Tk500 crore fund combining equity and lending support.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has relaxed regulations, allowing start-ups to invest up to $10,000 abroad by establishing legal entities. This move aims to support start-ups in Bangladesh and promote innovation. Start-ups, which are in their initial stages, can now submit applications to authorized dealer (AD) banks for remittances up to $10,000 and must report the registration/incorporation of such entities within six months.

Bangladesh has registered only 396 electric vehicles (EVs) since allowing registration in 2020, with most being motorcycles (243), followed by 94 hard jeeps, 54 private cars, three microbuses, and one delivery van and auto-rickshaw each.

Sales of heavy-duty trucks and covered vans rebounded in 2024, driven by pent-up demand and fleet replacement cycles, despite economic uncertainties. According to BRTA data, covered van registrations increased by 57% to 2,949 in 2024 from 1,874 in 2023, while truck registrations grew 16.5% to 2,671 from 2,292.