FE REPORT
Entrepreneurs and policy experts at a webinar on Thursday highlighted the promotion of economic strength, growth opportunities and sectoral investment prospects in Bangladesh.
However, they questioned various aspects of investment regime and sector-specific issues.
The speakers were addressing an international investment outreach event hosted to promote Bangladesh as the next FDI (foreign direct investment) frontier of Asia to global investors based in Singapore.
The programme also expressed its commitment to facilitating one-to-one interaction among keen global investors with appropriate counterparts in the private sector and the government in Bangladesh.
Co-hosted by Hammer Global Investments of Singapore and Policy Exchange Bangladesh, the event brought together more than 30 investors representing global banks, family offices, M&A units, fund managers, professional services, investment advisory services and entrepreneur investors.
The Bangladesh side was represented by renowned entrepreneurs, senior officials of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), lawyers, bankers, and economic and investment policy experts.
The first session delivered the global investors an overview of the country's economic growth performance and investment climate, highlights of investment regime and government programmes to facilitate FDI.
It also focused on the legal and the banking system and how they support FDI in Bangladesh.
Hammer Global chief investment officer Wong Look Liew moderated the session.
The session included remarks from Hammer Global managing director Roselan Araf, Policy Exchange chairman Dr Masrur Reaz, BIDA director Ariful Haque, barrister Margub Kabir and Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh managing director and head of corporate banking Enamul Haque.
The second session highlighted sectoral investment opportunities in four select sectors-textiles and apparel, healthcare, real estate and technology.
AK Khan Group director Abul Kasem Khan provided an overall assessment of private investment opportunities in the country.
Ananta Group managing director Sharif Zahir, Active Fine Chemicals chairman M Zia Uddin, ADN Technology Group chairman Asif Mahmood and Anwar Landmark managing director Hossain Khaled made four sectoral presentations.
Riverstone Capital managing director Ashraf Ahmed made a presentation on the country's systems on international capital flow and foreign exchange regime.
Hammer Global and Policy Exchange will continue to work with global investors to take forward their FDI interest in Bangladesh to facilitate their linkages with Bangladesh businesses and regulators.
bdsmile@gmaile.com