The parliament in Bangladesh has passed a landmark law to merge its primary investment, economic zone, and public-private partnership bodies into a single organisation.
The Jatiya Sangsad approved the Invest Bangladesh Bill 2026 on Wednesday, paving the way for a highly anticipated overhaul of the nation's business environment.
Under the new legislation, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, and the Public Private Partnership Authority will be abolished. Their functions will be brought together under a newly formed entity called the Invest Bangladesh Authority.
The newly established agency will function as the country's main body for driving investment and will work directly under the prime minister's office.
According to government officials, the consolidation aims to make investor services simpler, faster, and far more coordinated. It brings investment promotion, industrial zone management, and public-private partnerships under one roof for the first time.
The head of the three merging agencies, Ashik Chowdhury, welcomed the development. The executive chairman said that foreign and local businesses have long called for a single, unified framework to help the country attract the capital it needs to grow and create new jobs.
Ashik Chowdhury noted that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development had also recommended merging the bodies to help improve the local business climate.
The passing of this bill is a major milestone in the government's 180-day plan, which was first launched in March 2026 to make it easier for companies to do business in the country.
Once the new authority is set up, it will manage all investment-related approvals, business registrations, import-export clearances, and tax incentives.
The law introduces a true single-window clearance system, meaning companies will be able to apply for licences and track their approvals through a single digital platform.
The law also allows the government to bring economic zones, free trade zones, and other industrial areas under one set of rules. In addition, it sets out clear timelines for processing licences, simplifies the approval process for smaller public-private partnership projects, and allows unused state-owned land to be used for industrial projects.
The change is designed to stop different government bodies from duplicating work or giving conflicting advice to businesses, aligning the country with global standards.
The new law was moved by Home Affairs Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed. It passed despite some objections from opposition lawmakers, who argued that the legislation had been rushed through parliament.
With the passage of this bill, four older laws will be repealed, including the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Act 2016 and the One Stop Service Act 2018.
The new system will officially start once the government publishes a formal notification in its official gazette, with the new Invest Bangladesh brand expected to launch at the same time.
