Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced on Tuesday that he will host a series of breakfast meetings for both Chinese and South Korean investors to address their concerns and expedite investment in Bangladesh. The announcement was made during a meeting with a delegation of prominent Chinese investors at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka, who were in the country to participate in the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025. Professor Yunus highlighted the significant reforms introduced by the Interim Government in areas such as trade, labour, and investment policies, which aim to attract more foreign investors and facilitate the relocation of manufacturing plants from China and South Korea to Bangladesh. "Over the last eight months, we have worked hard to make it easier to invest in Bangladesh. The country has never had such a conducive environment for foreign investment before," he said. To further strengthen engagement with investors, the Chief Adviser revealed that the Executive Chairman of BIDA (Bangladesh Investment Development Authority) would host monthly breakfast meetings on the 10th of each month with Korean and Chinese investors.
While these meetings will primarily be hosted by BIDA, Professor Yunus pledged to attend some sessions personally to listen to investor concerns and ensure swift resolutions.
In a bid to enhance investor confidence, Professor Yunus proposed establishing a dedicated hotline and call centre service for foreign investors. This service will allow investors to register complaints and resolve issues promptly.
"Any investor can call this number and register their complaints, and we will respond accordingly," he assured, emphasising the government’s commitment to providing seamless support to foreign businesses.
The meeting saw participation from at least 30 prominent Chinese investors, representing major global companies across sectors such as infrastructure, power, transport, renewable energy, textiles, mobile telecommunications, waste management, logistics, and IT services.
The delegation was led by Pauline Ngan, Vice President of Mainland Headgear Company Limited, one of the largest companies in the world.
Professor Yunus shared insights from his recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where President Xi expressed strong support for encouraging top Chinese companies to invest in Bangladesh.
"I was touched by his gesture," the Chief Adviser remarked, highlighting the significance of China’s commitment to fostering economic ties with Bangladesh.
Officials from the Chinese companies expressed keen interest in investing in the dedicated Chinese economic zone in Chattogram and the planned Chinese economic zone in Mongla, where China is set to modernise a seaport.
Several companies also indicated plans to establish Bangladesh as their South Asian production and operations hub, responding to Professor Yunus’ vision of transforming the country into a top global manufacturing centre.
"We have a ready-made market here, and in addition, you can cater to landlocked countries such as Nepal and Bhutan," Professor Yunus added, underscoring Bangladesh’s strategic geographic advantage.
Some of the larger Chinese firms showed interest in cutting-edge sectors such as the electric vehicle (EV) transition, lithium-ion battery production, renewable energy sources like wind turbines, and offshore photovoltaic solar power generation.
Earlier in the day, Professor Yunus also met with a delegation of South Korean investors, signalling Bangladesh’s growing appeal as an investment destination for East Asian economies.
The meeting was attended by BIDA Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun and SDG Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, among other senior officials, reflecting the government’s unified effort to attract foreign direct investment (FDI).