Bangladesh is open for business: PM Tarique tells Wall Street

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has pitched Bangladesh as an investment destination to Wall Street executives, saying his government is committed to creating a more predictable and business-friendly environment.

“Our message is simple: Bangladesh is open for business,” Tarique told a breakfast meeting with business leaders, investors and financial institutions at JPMorgan’s headquarters in Manhattan on Friday.

Assistant Press Secretary AKM Nazmul Haque provided details of the meeting.

Drawing on his experience in business before entering politics, Tarique said investors needed confidence, predictability and the right conditions for growth.

The prime minister highlighted the country’s population of more than 180 million, its young workforce, growing market and strategic location as advantages for investors.

He said the country was already known globally as a major manufacturing and ready-made garment hub, but offered wider opportunities in energy, infrastructure, logistics, technology, digital services, climate finance, manufacturing, agriculture and healthcare.

“Our ambition is to build a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2034 and position Bangladesh as a globally connected manufacturing, investment and services hub,” Tarique said.

To achieve that goal, Tarique said his government was working to make the country “easier, more stable and more reliable” for investors.

He cited plans to streamline regulations, strengthen investor protection, improve tax and VAT administration, make it easier to repatriate profits and upgrade infrastructure.

Tarique said investors wanted to know whether regulations were predictable, investments were protected, capital could move efficiently and profits could be repatriated, describing them as “legitimate questions”.

“Our responsibility is to provide confidence through policy and, most importantly, through implementation,” he said.

The prime minister said Bangladesh was seeking long-term partnerships rather than short-term transactions.

US Ties and Global Markets

Tarique said his government wanted to deepen economic ties with the United States while strengthening Bangladesh’s links with other major economies.

He referred to new economic arrangements with Japan and South Korea, initiatives for a new partnership with the European Union and efforts to expand economic relations with China.

“These are important steps in connecting Bangladesh more closely with the world’s major economies,” he said.

Tarique also referred to JPMorgan’s role in Bangladesh’s inaugural sovereign bond, describing it as an important milestone that gave international investors a new reference point for the country and helped connect its capital markets more closely with the global financial system.

He urged Wall Street firms to invest in Bangladesh and use the country as a base to reach the wider regional market.

“We welcome Wall Street firms to invest in Bangladesh. And we want Bangladesh to become a strong platform, from which you can serve a much larger regional market,” he said.

Tarique said Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and his Special Assistant for Investment and Capital Markets Tanvir Ghani would work with prospective investors and coordinate their concerns with the relevant government agencies.

“Our government’s objective is straightforward. More investment. More trade. More jobs. More technology. And a stronger economic partnership between Bangladesh and the United States,” he said.

Tarique closed his pitch by inviting investors to build long-term businesses in Bangladesh.

“I invite you to invest with confidence and build for the long term. We are ready to work with you, listen to you and remove obstacles where we can. I hope we will see many of you soon in Bangladesh.”

The breakfast meeting was part of Tarique’s engagements in New York during his visit for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.