KEPZ to Expedite Land Registration Process

In 2024, net foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh fell to a five-year low at $1.27 billion, extending a downward trend that began after the 2021 post-pandemic surge. The drop—a 13.25% decrease from 2023—was highlighted by declining equity inflows and a sharp fall in reinvested earnings.

The government has increased the monthly salaries of outsourced workers in state-owned and state-run organizations for the first time in six years, raising pay by Tk 570 to Tk 1,102 depending on city and job category. The finance ministry’s new circular also introduces three additional job categories, bringing more types of specialized workers under the revised pay structure.

Bangladesh is drawing increasing interest from foreign investors, especially in technology and digital services, according to Mike Orgill, Uber’s Asia-Pacific head of public policy. He credits this to the government’s openness, proactive engagement with international businesses, and improvements in the investment climate. The recent Bangladesh Investment Summit attracted significant investment proposals and signaled the country’s eagerness to foster global partnerships.

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) is set to launch the Bangladesh Business Portal, a unified digital platform to streamline all trade and investment-related services. Currently, Bida’s One Stop Service (OSS) platform hosts 134 services from 44 agencies, but many key services are still missing, causing confusion among users.

The government has approved a major support project for the Bay Terminal at Chattogram port, focusing on marine infrastructure development with a budget of Tk 13,525.57 crore. The project, considered crucial for Bangladesh’s growing economy due to the lack of a true deep-sea port, will include building a breakwater and improving port connectivity.

Interest rates on Bangladesh’s government treasury bills (T-bills) have risen again this month, signaling persistent liquidity pressures in the banking sector and growing government reliance on bank borrowing to fund expenditures. Recent auctions saw yields climb to 11.58% for 91-day bills, 11.85% for 182-day, and 11.94% for 364-day, higher than earlier in the month and well above rates from a month ago.