Bida launches investment database survey

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) has launched a nationwide industry survey to build the country’s first comprehensive investment database, aiming to improve investment promotion and support evidence-based policymaking.

The database will cover both local and foreign investments and will be integrated with Bida’s One Stop Service (OSS) platform, which handles registration and other services for investors, officials said at a divisional workshop on the Survey of Industries in Bangladesh, held in Mymensingh today.

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Gazi AKM Fazlul Haque, director general of Bida, said Bangladesh currently lacks complete information on many industries, making it difficult for policymakers to assess investment activities.

“The survey will collect reliable investment data and identify region-specific products and sectors with export potential, including agro-based and manufacturing industries,” he said.

Md Humayun Kabir, executive member of Bida, said the government plans to bring Bida and four other investment promotion agencies under a single platform to centralise investment-related information and services.

The new database would help improve investment facilitation and support future investment planning, he added.

The South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (Sanem) is implementing the survey, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Tasnim Alam, public sector economist at ADB, said a reliable and centralised investment database would help Bangladesh improve its investment climate and attract more foreign direct investment.

Selim Raihan, executive director of Sanem, said fragmented records and duplicated data have long created challenges for investment policymaking.

He added that the project includes data collection, verification, database standardisation, analytical reports and the preparation of a national investment compendium.

Zubayer Hossen, programme director of Sanem, said the survey will cover all major economic sectors, firm sizes and ownership structures across the country’s eight divisions.

During the discussion, participants highlighted Mymensingh’s potential in agro-processing, livestock, and fisheries sectors. They also called for improved industrial infrastructure and greater investment support for the Jamalpur Economic Zone.