Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur said the central bank is going to introduce a fund of Tk800-Tk900 crore to provide capital support for startups.
He was speaking at the four-day Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 that kicked off on Sunday (April 7) at the Hotel InterContinental Dhaka.
He further said: “Bangladesh Bank is thinking about startups. The central bank is working on how to utilize the ideas of young people. Bangladesh Bank has created a co-financing fund of Tk500 crore for startups. This will increase further.”
“Startups are not only getting investment from Dhaka, but they are getting investment from anywhere in the country. When entrepreneurs are frustrated, policymakers are listening to them,” he added.
The central bank governor told startups that 95% of startups cannot succeed.
“That's why you have to be transparent. Don't ask for immediate returns. You have to increase sales; the money will come one day. You have to wait. Venture capitals will also invest in you.”
Document verification processes for companies and banks have been simplified, allowing many funding procedures to be completed online, he added.
He also said that new policy provisions would make it easier for foreign investors to repatriate funds, eliminating the need for separate applications to the central bank.
Organized by Startup Bangladesh Limited, the ICT Division and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), the summit aims to showcase the country’s growing startup ecosystem and position it as a key player in the global investment network.
At the event, Bida Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said: “Any investor who comes to Bangladesh will see the real picture. We are listening to you more; we are talking less. We will follow whatever you say.”
“Work is underway to ease the country's investment environment. In addition, the government is considering establishing connections and cooperation between domestic and foreign companies and issuing long-term trade licenses,” he also added.
At the opening of the day-long “Startup Connect”, Faiz Ahmad Taiyab, special assistant to the Chief Adviser of the ICT Division, said: “The interim government is working to ensure that no future government can shut down internet access in Bangladesh. The SOP and NGSO have been arranged in such a way that there is no policy to shut down the internet.”
“We are working to declare the internet as a civic right in Bangladesh,” he said.
Faiz also said the interim government is seeking to amend controversial clauses in the Telecommunication Act 2001 to prevent the internet from being shut down legally.
Earlier the inaugural session featured a keynote presentation on “Empowering Innovation, Connecting Opportunities” by Tanveer Ali, chairman of Constellation Asset Management Company Limited and independent director of Startup Bangladesh Ltd.
He said: “Bangladesh is one of the world's fastest-growing economies, yet investment in startups still lags behind peer nations.”
Sadia Haque, CEO of ShareTrip, moderated the session.
Foreign Investors
On the first day of the Investment Summit, a 60-member business delegation began visiting the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) and the National Special Economic Zone (NSEZ) in Chittagong on Sunday.
The press wing of the chief adviser published some photos of the investors' visit on their verified Facebook page.
At the KEPZ, delegates attended a presentation and visited several factories.
