The Investment Policy Review (IPR) of Bangladesh was published in 2013. It provided a comprehensive assessment of the country’s strategic, legal and institutional framework for investment and proposed tailored recommendations to improve the investment climate and attract foreign direct investment (FDI). The IPR also outlined recommendations to further enable public-private partnerships (PPP) to attract FDI for infrastructure development, focusing on the policy framework, regulatory and financial constraints and institutional capacity.
In 2025, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) requested UNCTAD to assess the implementation of the IPR recommendations. This report analyses the progress made in strengthening the investment climate, including amid various global crises. It also highlights further actions to support the country’s development objectives,
particularly considering its scheduled graduation from least developed country (LDC) status in November 2026. An online tool, the Live implementation matrix, will be made available to the Government of Bangladesh to continue monitoring and reporting on progress
made, and to provide an up-to-date picture of efforts undertaken to further reform the investment environment. The analysis and recommendations are based on UNCTAD’s Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (IPFSD) (UNCTAD, 2015), which provides guidance for aligning investment policy with inclusive growth and sustainability.
Since its inception in 1999, UNCTAD’s IPR programme has supported more than 60 economies, including 26 LDCs, in enhancing their investment frameworks in line with their national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Follow-up reports are prepared at the request of beneficiary countries to assess the implementation of the IPR recommendations, identify remaining challenges and propose additional actions to further improve the investment environment. These reports also help determine the need for technical assistance and support the design of future reform strategies.