BIDA & Swisscontact Ink MoU to Boost Investment Climate and Inclusive Growth in Bangladesh

Staff Reporter: The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Swisscontact have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today at BIDA’s Conference Hall in Agargaon, Dhaka, marking a new chapter of collaboration to strengthen Bangladesh’s investment ecosystem and promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

The MoU was signed to advance coordinated efforts between the government and development partners to create an enabling business environment, enhance institutional capacity, and attract both domestic and foreign investments across key priority sectors.

Over the years, BIDA has been leading national initiatives to improve Bangladesh’s investment climate through regulatory reforms, digitization, and inter-agency coordination. Recognizing the importance of regional competitiveness, Swisscontact had earlier partnered with BIDA under one of its flagship projects (July 2023–December 2024) to enhance the business environment and competitiveness in secondary cities across the country.

Building on that success, BIDA and Swisscontact are now joining hands to design a new, forward-looking initiative aimed at improving the overall investment climate nationwide, guided by BIDA’s investment heat map and reform agenda.

The MoU underscores BIDA’s ongoing transformation towards an “investor-first” model—anchored in data-driven decision-making, institutional coordination, and globally competitive standards.

Swisscontact, a global organization promoting sustainable private sector development, has been working extensively in Bangladesh to strengthen institutional capacity and trade competitiveness. The organization aims to facilitate policy improvements that attract more quality Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and generate large-scale employment, particularly for youth and women.

Speaking on the occasion, BIDA Executive Chairman (State Minister) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said that partnerships like this reflect Bangladesh’s commitment to building a globally competitive and inclusive investment ecosystem. “Our goal is to ensure that investors—local and international—experience Bangladesh as a seamless, efficient, and opportunity-rich destination,” he said.

The partnership between BIDA and Swisscontact will focus on three key objectives:
1.    Evidence-Driven Investment Climate Diagnostics and Coordination
2.    Strengthening BIDA as a Globally Competitive Investment Promotion Agency (IPA)
3.    Sector-Specific Investment Promotion and Backward Linkage Development
Both organizations expressed optimism that this collaboration will help attract quality investments, foster innovation, and drive sustainable industrial growth across Bangladesh.

BB/Shamim//