Sylhet: The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (SANEM), has appealed to stakeholders in Sylhet for active cooperation in developing a comprehensive industrial database aimed at identifying new investment opportunities in the region.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the request was made during a divisional workshop focused on the Survey of Industries in Bangladesh. The workshop, held at Rose View Hotel in Sylhet, aimed to collect and verify field-level information on industries, investment challenges, and potential sectors. The initiative is spearheaded by BIDA, with funding from ADB and technical support from SANEM, to address challenges faced by investors, create a reliable industrial database, and formulate policies that encourage investment and balanced regional industrialization.
ADB Bangladesh Public Sector Economist Tasnim Alam highlighted the necessity of increased investment as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category. Alam emphasized the need for a clear transition roadmap supported by higher investment and enhanced private-sector participation, with a particular focus on leveraging regional economic opportunities, such as Sylhet's promising tourism sector.
Dr. Selim Raihan, SANEM Executive Director and Economics Professor at Dhaka University, underlined the survey's role in identifying investor challenges and providing a reliable database to aid both investors and policymakers. SANEM Programme Director Zubayer Hossen noted the current concentration of industries in Dhaka and Chattogram, stressing the survey's importance in verifying industrial distribution through a comprehensive census of foreign-owned and joint-venture firms, alongside a representative survey of domestic enterprises.
BIDA Director General Jibon Krishna Saha Roy pointed to the longstanding issue of a lack of a reliable national industrial database. He emphasized the need for proactive planning in anticipation of LDC graduation, strengthening BIDA's One Stop Service (OSS), ensuring balanced investment distribution, and expanding export potential.
BIDA Executive Member Md Humayun Kabir acknowledged challenges such as data discrepancies and limited information on active industries. Kabir expressed interest in collaborating with Sylhet's SMEs and exploring high-potential sectors like agro-processing. He stated that the survey database would support policymaking, deregulation, and coordination among chambers and stakeholders.
Sylhet Divisional Commissioner Md Moshiur Rahman stated that the survey would offer a detailed view of the region's industrial landscape, identifying unrecognised raw-material-based industries. Lubana Yesmin Shampa, President of the Sylhet Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the shortage of export-oriented entrepreneurs, especially women, and called for stronger integration of agriculture with tourism, citing the lack of reliable regional data as a barrier to establishing new industries.
Sylhet Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Abdullah Al Mamun, who chaired the workshop, acknowledged the bureaucratic challenges and information shortages faced by investors. He promised full cooperation from the district administration in the data collection process.
Workshop participants identified major obstacles to industrial development in Sylhet, including low-interest financing, poor port connectivity, a shortage of skilled manpower, unreliable electricity supply, and taxation and VAT-related issues. They advocated for increased sector-specific investment and suggested expanding the fisheries sector and exploring solar energy as potential avenues for future industrial growth.
The workshop gathered government officials, private-sector representatives, investors, chamber leaders, and other stakeholders from across the Sylhet division.