Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (October 23, 2023) urged Swiss entrepreneurs to make investments in Bangladesh to create a mini Switzerland in the South Asian country. Swiss businesses can invest in Bangladesh in the special economic zones (SEZs), she said, adding "We will provide lands (in SEZs) and they can make a mini Switzerland here,” she said. The premier made this call when Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Reto Siegfried Renggli paid a courtesy call on her at the Prime Minister’s Office. Read: Some Western powers seek to install a puppet government in Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells ALPP meeting Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the call on. In response the ambassador said Swiss companies are interested to invest in Bangladesh, said the press secretary. The envoy said the volume of trade between Bangladesh and Switzerland should be increased. He said he will continue to work for further strengthening the bilateral relations and cooperation. The envoy appreciated the economic development of Bangladesh under the leadership of PM Hasina in the last one decade. Read: All enjoy equal religious rights in Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells Hindus celebrating Durga Puja He said that Switzerland would work together with Bangladesh to fight the adverse impact of climate change. PM Hasina said the focus of her government is on the development of rural people of Bangladesh. “The backbone of development is middle class people,” she added. “We are taking many programmes to reduce the extreme poverty rate to zero, at least to one percent,” she added. The prime minister mentioned that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a vision to “make Bangladesh as the Switzerland of the East”. She recalled that she was with Bangabandhu when he visited Switzerland at the invitation of Swiss government after undergoing surgery in London. Read: PM mourns death of Patuakhali-1 MP Md Shahjahan Mia Talking about connectivity, she said Bangladesh can be a bridge between the East and the West. So, the government is now developing the airports to this end. "We look forward to transforming Bangladesh-Switzerland bilateral relations into a broad-based partnership," she said.The prime minister assured the ambassador of extending all cooperation in discharging his duty in Dhaka. The Swiss envoy handed over the copy of a letter to Sheikh Hasina, which Bangabandhu sent to the Switzerland government in replying to Swiss recognition to Bangladesh as an independent country. Receiving the letter, the prime minister said that the letter will be displayed in the museum. PM's Principal Secretary M. Tofazzel Hossain Miah And Deputy Head of Swiss Mission in Bangladesh Corinne Henchoz Pignani were present.

International Finance Organisation (IFC) aims to double its investments in Bangladesh within the next five years, said a top ranking IFC official of the development organisation. It will have a focus on creating new jobs, with new investments to help accelerate the country's resilient recovery and to spur green growth. The comments by IFC Regional Director for South Asia, Hector Gomez Ang, came at the end of a five-day visit to Bangladesh, which included meetings with senior government officials, private sector representatives, think tanks, potential new clients and other key stakeholders. Read:Nordic envoys emphasise importance of democracy with fair elections in Bangladesh Gomez Ang was accompanied by IFC's recently appointed Country Manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, Martin Holtmann, as well as senior IFC industry experts. Energy and energy transmission as well as infrastructure to improve the quality of healthcare in Bangladesh, in the wake of COVID 19 impacts, and the need for affordable housing were among the areas singled out by Gomez Ang as targets for investment. “IFC promotes energy diversification and already supports more than 20 percent of the private power generation in Bangladesh. We are looking to do more in terms of the energy mix and transmission, and also to explore new opportunities in healthcare, education, climate and economic zones, and green, affordable housing,” Gomez Ang added. “An upper middle-income Bangladesh starts with a livable Dhaka, and we are eager to develop the affordable housing sector which is critical for inclusive growth.”

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud will arrive in Dhaka on March 16 to hold talks with government leaders on identifying the potential areas of his country’s big investments in Bangladesh. He is coming at the invitation of Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and will have bilateral meeting with him on March 16. The Saudi foreign minister is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his visit apart from other engagements. Read:Bangladesh shares updated info on continental shelf in Bay with UN Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan briefed media at the Embassy on Wednesday highlighting various aspects of the relations including Saudi investors’ desire to invest “extensively” in Bangladesh. Engineering Dimensions, a Saudi Arabian Enterprise, has confirmed $1.8 billion investment in Bangladeshi, said the envoy. He said Saudi Arabia is mulling establishing a special economic zone and considering scopes to invest in the construction of rail links connecting Dhaka and Payra port, including the development of Cox’s Bazar as an international tourist destination. The ambassador said Saudi ACWA Power has already announced to invest $ 600 million to build 700 MW power plant and proposed a total $ 3.5 billion investment in Bangladesh. He said Saudi Red Sea Gateway Terminal wants to invest $ 1.2 billion in Bangladesh, said the envoy. Earlier, Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) of Bangladesh said the Saudi Ministry of Investment will soon send a delegation to Bangladesh to explore investment opportunities in the PPP projects.