Invest Bangladesh Bill passed, four agencies to merge

The Jatiya Sangsad yesterday passed the Invest Bangladesh Bill, 2026, paving the way for the creation of the Invest Bangladesh Authority as the country’s single investment promotion agency.

The bill, moved by Salahuddin Ahmed, minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office and minister for home affairs, was passed by voice vote.

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The new law will merge the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) and the Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) into one statutory body.

The government said the move would simplify investor services, reduce bureaucratic delays and improve coordination among government agencies.

The new law will merge Bida, Beza, PPPA and the Hi-Tech Park Authority into one statutory body

Speaking in parliament, Salahuddin said the law does not introduce a new system but combines existing institutions whose responsibilities have increasingly become overlapping.

“We are not creating a new concept. Different authorities with similar responsibilities have created overlapping functions, and investors are not receiving services through a genuine one-window system. We are simply merging these authorities into one,” he told the House.

He said the government had planned to place the bill before parliament earlier, but Wednesday was the final sitting of the session.

“If there had been any complex legal issue in the bill, I myself would have proposed sending it to the standing committee,” he said.

Responding to concerns from opposition lawmakers, Salahuddin said members could propose amendments verbally as procedural requirements had already been waived. He assured the House that reasonable proposals would be considered and included through future amendments if necessary.

Under the new law, the Invest Bangladesh Authority will become the country’s sole investment promotion agency. It will be responsible for attracting domestic and foreign investment, promoting industrialisation and coordinating approvals among government agencies.

The authority will oversee economic zones, hi-tech parks and public-private partnership projects. It will also approve investment incentives and facilitate major investment proposals.

It will operate a unified digital platform to integrate all investment-related approvals, licences and permits. All relevant government agencies will be required to use the platform, while existing one-stop service systems run by different agencies will gradually be merged into it.

The law allows the authority to recommend visas and work permits for foreign investors and experts, facilitate investment agreements, oversee industrial land allocation and advise the government on the strategic use or disposal of unused state-owned industrial and commercial assets.

It will also set deadlines for key government services linked to approved investment projects, including land allocation, utility connections, customs clearance and environmental approvals.

The authority will be governed by a board chaired by the prime minister or a nominee. The board will include ministers responsible for finance, commerce, industries, energy, foreign affairs, land and law, along with the Bangladesh Bank governor, senior government officials and private sector representatives, including women members.

An executive council headed by an executive chairman will oversee the authority’s day-to-day operations.

The law repeals the Bangladesh Economic Zones Act, 2010, the Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership Act, 2015, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Act, 2016, the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Act and the One Stop Service Act, 2018.

All assets, liabilities, contracts and employees of the four agencies will be transferred to the new authority.