Regulatory hurdles to foreign investment

It is a given publicity that Bangladesh provides exceptionally liberal or favourable terms and conditions to the investors, especially foreign ones. But these incentives are also considered to be mainly on paper because the ground level realities reflecting handicaps in the form of various regulations, are found to be strong disincentives to the investors. Thus, it is the considered opinion of potential foreign investors that this country should carry out fast reforms to minimise regulations or shorten the time-span involved. If only this is done, then the otherwise positive features in the investment policies of the country would make it look like an attractive investment destination.
One can easily realise the sort of frustration that investors are confronted with once they know that that it takes an unusually long time, for a foreign investor to register property in Bangladesh. Similar instances of delay are witnessed in other spheres of the regulatory regime which are not conducive from the standpoint of motivating the foreign investors. So, rationalisation of this regulatory framework is very necessary to make it responsive to the demand to save time and reduce hassles - two most serious considerations in the minds of most of the foreign investors.
Mujibul Haque
Dhanmondi, Dhaka