Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun has said Bangladesh’s ongoing energy crisis remains the biggest barrier to attracting both local and foreign investment. Speaking at a roundtable discussion in Dhaka recently, Ashik warned that investors would remain hesitant unless the country ensures a reliable supply of electricity and gas. ‘Until we solve the energy problem, it will be very dif?cult for local and foreign investors to believe in the Bangladesh growth story,’ he said.
the discussion, titled Trade Policy, Industrial Protection, Investment Impacts, and Consumer Welfare, was organized by the Policy Research Institute with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Of?ce at PRI’s Banani of?ce.
ashik said Bangladesh’s main challenge is not the lack of policy but weak implementation. He pointed to persistent delays in clearing raw materials at Chattogram Port despite existing policies aimed at resolving such problems.