the world’s second largest fabric exporter and a rising Email*

player in the pharmaceutical industry.

Planned activities*

#1 Continuously rapid
economic growth
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One of the most notable indicators of Bangladesh’s
rapid economic development is its surging GDP. The
GDP of Bangladesh continued to increase at 7.3% in
2017.

In fact, based on the current estimations by the Asian

Development Bank, it will continue to grow in 2018 and
2019 as well, at 7% and 7.2%, respectively.

According to the IMF, the average GDP Growth for

emerging and developing countries is 4.9%. Therefore,
compared to other emerging markets, the GDP
growth of Bangladesh has been outstanding.
 

#2 Strategic location

Located on the border of South and Southeast Asia,

Bangladesh is close to other major markets in the
region, such as China.

Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka has easy access to its

neighboring countries. It is also the commercial and
financial hub of Bangladesh and the largest economic
center of Eastern South Asia.

Furthermore, Bangladesh is situated on the coast of Bay

of Bengal which offers good conditions for doing
trading business within Asian and Middle Eastern
markets.
 

#3 Young and skilled

workforce

One of the main driving forces of Bangladesh’s

economic growth is its young workforce. As a matter of
fact, in 2018, the median age in Bangladesh is just 26.0.

 
invest in Bangladesh

The country also shows potential in technical education.

15,000 Bangladeshi fresh graduates get into top IT
firms such as IBM, Microsoft, and Google every year.

The European Commission listed Bangladesh as an

ideal destination for outsourcing. There are Tech
Parks situated in Dhaka and Jessore to promote the
progress of the ICT sector to create Digital Bangladesh.

#4 Growing population
As of June 2018, the population of Bangladesh is
166,340,956 according to the United Nations. This
makes Bangladesh the 5th most populous country in
Asia and the 8th in the whole world. In addition, the UN
estimates Bangladesh’s population to reach 265 million
by 2050.

By 2025, the middle class of Bangladesh is also

expected to grow to 34 million, triple the number of
today’s middle-class of 12 million. Two million
Bangladeshis join the middle class of Bangladesh every
year.

#5 Competitive labor costs

The average monthly wage for garment workers in

Bangladesh is 5300 BDT (US$ 63). In China, for
example, garment workers earn on average about $347
a month.

In fact, increasing costs in developed countries such as

China has become the main reason why many
companies are moving their manufacturing to other
destinations.

 
#6 Openness to foreign
investment

Bangladesh has shown a very welcoming attitude

towards foreign investors, allowing foreign investment
in most sectors and providing favorable conditions
for doing business.

Some of the incentives Bangladesh is offering to foreign

investors are:

Tax holidays and exemptions

Simplified import of raw materials and machinery

Facilitation of utility connections

The Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) is

also planning to create 100 economic zones all over
Bangladesh in the next 15 years.

The foreign direct investment has been continuously

growing, reaching US$  2.4 billion in 2017.

invest in Bangladesh

#7 Trade agreements

Bangladesh is also a member of the World Trade

Organization.

Signed memberships and agreements include:

 Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical
and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Free Trade
Area.

Pakistan-Bangladesh Free Trade Agreement

Trade Preferential System of the Organization of the

Islamic Conference

Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement

Preferential Tariff Arrangement-Group of Eight

Developing Countries

South Asian Free Trade Area

Furthermore, one of the main trading partners of

Bangladesh has been the European Union. Signed in
2001, the EU-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement
provides better conditions for trading by offering duty-
free exports.

Invest in Bangladesh
Photo by Rahat Hasan on Unsplash

#8 Increasing number of
Internet users

As confirmed by the latest reports by the Bangladesh

Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC),
and We Are Social and Hootsuite, there are over 80
million Bangladeshis using the Internet in 2018. That
makes up 49% of the total population of Bangladesh.

Among countries with the highest Internet penetration

percentage in South Asia, Bangladesh ranked 3rd next
to Maldives and Nepal.

In fact, Bangladesh’s Internet penetration has

surpassed the average of 36% of Southern Asia and it is
close to the world’s average of 53%.

Therefore, Bangladeshis are now gaining more access

to the Internet, providing excellent opportunities for
online businesses, such as banking services and e-
commerce, to thrive in Bangladesh.
invest in Bangladesh

Conclusion

These are the 8 reasons to invest in Bangladesh.

Naturally, there can also be risks, as there will be when
investing in any other country. However, these risks can
be minimized with a well-elaborated market entry
strategy.

Do not hesitate to reach out to us for a consultation by

filling out the form below. Our consultants will help your
business thrive in Bangladesh.

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