Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) is completing five decades of its journey in Bangladesh’s investment and capital market landscape.
Established on October 1, 1976, the state-owned financial institution has played an important role in transforming savings into investment, providing capital to industry and business through bridge financing, and contributing to the development of the capital market by creating demand and supply for listed securities.
Established in continuation of the journey of democratic, economic and institutional development that began during the tenure of president Ziaur Rahman with national interest placed at the forefront, ICB has gradually expanded its role in response to the changing needs of the country’s economy.
Its contribution has gone beyond direct participation in the capital market. In 1977, ICB introduced investment schemes and margin lending, followed by the country’s first mutual fund in 1980 and a unit fund in 1981.
Over the years, these initiatives have helped create investment opportunities and channels for mobilizing long-term capital.
According to institutional data, ICB’s direct investment stands at around Tk8,900 crore, while indirect investment through various schemes and mutual funds is approximately Tk27,900 crore.
Around 238 companies have received support through these activities, of which nearly 80 have been listed on the capital market.
The activities have also contributed to the creation of around 20,000 jobs.
The Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund has emerged as another significant initiative.
As of June 30, 2025, Tk1,624.27 crore had been disbursed to 1,039 projects in the agriculture and ICT sectors, contributing to approximately 51,806 direct and indirect employment opportunities.
ICB’s five-decade journey, however, has also involved considerable challenges, including market downturns, high financing costs, liquidity pressures, declining asset values, provisioning shortfalls and maturity mismatches.
The government has already provided Tk1,000 crore to strengthen the corporation’s financial capacity.
As ICB marks its Golden Jubilee, the challenge is not merely to celebrate its past achievements but to prepare the institution for the economic needs of tomorrow’s Bangladesh.
Expanding into areas such as Alternative Investment Funds, ETFs, Sukuk, corporate bonds, SIP/CIP, REITs and infrastructure financing could open new avenues for long-term capital mobilization.
At the same time, stronger investment in technology, skilled human resources, research, risk management, digital finance, data analytics and corporate governance will be crucial.
The Golden Jubilee, therefore, offers an opportunity for ICB to build on five decades of institutional trust and evolve into a more modern, diversified and sustainable institution—capable of turning savings into productive capital and helping shape the markets of Bangladesh’s future.