BIDA, BEZA and PPP Authority merged as Invest Bangladesh begins operations

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) have been merged to form the new Invest Bangladesh Authority, which officially began operations on Thursday.

The government issued a gazette notification on August 20, bringing the Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026 into effect from the same day.

Under the new law, Invest Bangladesh will operate as a statutory body headquartered in Dhaka. It may also establish branch offices across the country and liaison offices abroad with government approval.

The authority will be headed by a chairman, who will serve as its chief executive, along with seven members.

The new authority will focus on identifying investment opportunities, promoting Bangladesh to domestic and foreign investors, removing investment barriers and coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies.

Nahian Rahman Rochi, former executive member and head of business development at BIDA, said the gazette has made the merger effective, while the formation of new teams and wings will be completed gradually.

“Everything will now come under the name Invest Bangladesh. The remaining work, including forming new teams and wings, will begin gradually,” he told The Business Standard.

He said the initiative aims to create a single point of contact for investors, providing more coordinated, seamless and reliable investment-related services.

As part of the merger, the existing assets, records, contracts, liabilities and other matters of BIDA, BEZA and PPPA will be transferred to Invest Bangladesh. Their employees will also work under the new authority.

The gazette marks the formal implementation of the long-awaited merger, aimed at streamlining investment services and reducing barriers for investors.

SKS