“Investor Confidence Has to Be Earned”

Q1. You have been heading Industries, Commerce, and Textiles and Jute. What did you find when you arrived, and what surprised you most?

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What I found first was urgency. We took office just before Ramadan, so market stability required immediate attention, even as we began taking stock of the wider portfolio. What struck me most was not any single issue, but how closely connected the work is. Prices, production, investment, employment and exports may fall under different institutional headings, but decisions in one area quickly affect all the others. Our task is to make government work across those boundaries.

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Q2. Together, these ministries give you one of the broadest economic portfolios in government. Which two or three policy levers are you pressing hardest on first and what shaped that order of priorities?

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The priorities are closely linked, but I would identify three: reliable energy for industry, a simpler and more predictable regulatory environment, and industrial renewal including the productive use of underutilized public assets and a broader export base. The order reflects where government action can have the greatest multiplier effect: secure the foundations of production, reduce the cost and uncertainty of doing business, and direct investment towards higher-value, more diversified economic activity.

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Q3. You have spoken repeatedly about deregulation and reducing friction for businesses. What has actually changed so far and what should businesses expect next?

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Deregulation is not simply an administrative reform for us. It was a clear commitment in our election manifesto, and the Hon’ble Prime Minister has made it an important part of the government’s economic programme. We have therefore begun changing the architecture through which businesses engage with regulators.

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Invest Bangladesh now provides the institutional foundation for a single point of service, while a high-level committee formed by the Prime Minister’s Office is advancing the simplification of industrial approvals. The objective is for a new industrial venture to secure the essential licences, approvals and clearances needed to begin within 14 days not spend months moving between agencies. The Ministry of Commerce is working closely with Invest Bangladesh to make that framework a reality.

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Integrated inspection is one example of this approach: agencies should inspect together, businesses should submit the same information only once, and decisions should flow through a coordinated channel. Businesses should expect fewer interfaces, clear deadlines and identifiable accountability. Our task now is to turn that framework into a consistent operating reality across government.

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Q4. The government wants to bring idle state-owned enterprises back into productive use through private investment, divestment and PPPs. What is the strategy and why should private investors find these assets attractive?

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The first step has been to make the opportunity visible and investable. For the first time, the government has identified 44 opportunities across five state agencies and brought them together in a single investment portfolio, covering more than 10,000 acres in Bangladesh’s major industrial corridors. This allows investors to assess a structured national pipeline. We are not applying one model to every asset. Each must be assessed on its commercial merits, with the appropriate structure whether a lease, PPP, joint venture, strategic partnership or divestment. Some facilities can be modernized within their existing sectors; others may be better suited to new export-oriented or import-substituting industries. Majority of these assets already offer substantial land, utility and transport access, industrial infrastructure and established labor pools, allowing investors to move considerably faster than with a greenfield project. The government’s responsibility is to make that proposition credible through transparent terms, clearly defined liabilities and sufficient operational freedom.

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Q5. You have spoken of a bigger, better industrial and commercial future for Bangladesh. What does that actually look like under your watch and what is your message to international investors?

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To me, “bigger” means more investment, production, employment and exports across more sectors and regions. “Better” means higher productivity, greater value addition, stronger skills, cleaner technology and a more predictable business environment. We have the potential to raise annual exports from around US$50–55 billion to US$150 billion by developing five to seven high-potential sectors. Ready-made garments will remain central, but pharmaceuticals, leather, agro-processing, light engineering, ICT, jute and advanced textiles must grow alongside it. The aim is a more resilient economy that competes on value, not cost alone.

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My message to international investors is that we will not ask them to take Bangladesh’s potential on faith. Investor confidence has to be earned through the experience of starting, operating and expanding a business here. Our responsibility is to make that experience steadily easier and to be honest about where work remains. We are looking for partnerships that bring capital and technology, build local capability and create lasting value. Investors should find in us a government that listens, responds and remains engaged long after the initial investment decision.