Bangladesh seeks to boost investment climate: PM Tarique Rahman

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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said Saturday that his government is working to create a favourable environment for investment and position Bangladesh as an attractive destination for investors.

Addressing the opening of the three-day Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, the prime minister said the government had a five-year action plan focused on protecting national interests, ensuring policy continuity, maintaining economic stability and reforming state institutions.

”We are moving from commitments to implementation.”

The fifth edition of the international dialogue, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), is being held from October 3 to 5 under the theme “Fragments, Frontiers, Futures: Navigating Power, Technology and Trust in a World Rewritten.” Organisers say the event has drawn more than 200 speakers, over 300 delegates and more than 1,000 participants from more than 100 countries.

Tarique Rahman said the government would expand access to public services through initiatives including the Family Card, Farmer Card and Health Card, with plans for a future Universal Card to bring multiple government services under a single system.

He also announced plans to recruit 100,000 healthcare workers, around 80% of whom, he said, would be women. The workers would provide primary healthcare, health advice and referral services at the grassroots level.

On education and employment, the prime minister said the government would expand technical and vocational education alongside general education. It would also use technology and artificial intelligence to improve young people’s skills and employment opportunities while supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and startups.

Describing agriculture as a key pillar of the economy, he said the government was working to improve access to technology, irrigation, agricultural finance and markets. Greater emphasis would also be placed on agro-processing and exports of agricultural products.

On water security, he said the government plans to excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals and waterways over the next five years. Work is also under way to advance the Padma Barrage project and formulate a master plan for the Teesta river, Tarique Rahman added.

The government plans to plant 250 million trees over the next five years, Tarique Rahman said, while also expanding solar power, recycling and environmentally sustainable industries.

He said the government was strengthening transparency and accountability in state institutions and pledged to protect human rights, democratic values and freedom of expression while ensuring equality before the law.

On the Rohingya crisis, the prime minister said Bangladesh continues to host nearly 1.2 million refugees and called for greater international political support and financing to facilitate their “voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable” repatriation.

“The crisis originated in Myanmar, so its solution must also be found in Myanmar.”

Tarique Rahman highlighted the Bay of Bengal’s potential to deepen Bangladesh’s integration with the global economy through seaports, waterways and the coastal economy.

He identified shipping, fisheries, tourism, energy and regional supply chains as areas with significant potential, adding that greater regional cooperation was possible in trade, energy, education, technology, climate and maritime affairs.