Meta eyes Dhaka office: Shama Obaed

Speaking at a press briefing at the United Nations in New York, the state minister said the discussions with Meta were 'highly productive' and included the possibility of establishing Dhaka as an important operational hub for the US technology giant.

''The company is highly interested in opening an office in Bangladesh,'' she said, adding that Meta’s large Facebook user base in the country was among the factors discussed during the meeting.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was scheduled to attend the meeting but could not join due to a scheduling conflict. Senior Bangladeshi officials represented the country in the discussions, Shama Obaed said.

The two sides also discussed Bangladesh’s digital policy framework, including cybersecurity legislation, as well as potential cooperation in e-commerce, online commerce and the broader digital economy.

According to advertising-based estimates, Facebook had more than 75.1 million users in Bangladesh in August 2026. However, such figures are derived from Meta’s advertising tools and should not be treated as a definitive count of active users.

The meeting took place on the first day of Rahman’s New York visit for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.