Capital meets diplomacy: Charting the Roadmap to a trillion-dollar economy
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday (July 26) hosted a roundtable titled “The Capital Dialogue” at its conference room in Dhaka with an eye towards recovery, restoration, and reconstruction of Bangladesh’s economy.
The roundtable was held in the presence of Finance and Planning Adviser to the Prime Minister Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, MP, bringing together senior representatives of foreign missions in Dhaka and development partners of financial institutions.
The discussion was convened as a continuation of the “Roadmap for Trade, Growth & Economic Diplomacy Conference 2026,” held on 13 June 2026, a press release said.
In her opening remarks, State Minister for Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the present government’s firm commitment to revitalise the national economy.
Finance and Planning Adviser to the Prime Minister outlined the government’s short-, medium-, and long-term plans to transform Bangladesh into a $1 trillion economy by 2034.
Drawing on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s guiding “Bangladesh First” policy in building this trillion-dollar economy, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs underscored the paramount importance of foreign investment to national economic priorities, the release added.
She placed particular emphasis on economic diplomacy — channelled through Bangladesh’s missions abroad — as a key driver of expanding foreign direct investment for economic development.
The Finance and Planning Adviser to the Prime Minister further noted that investor confidence is being rebuilt through the close harmonisation of fiscal and monetary policy.
He identified the autonomy of the Central Bank, a stable long-term tax structure, and forensic financial audits — undertaken to identify non-performing loans and underpin a comprehensive bank recapitalisation plan — as the three technical pillars underpinning Bangladesh’s transition to a rule-based, competitive investment environment.
Participants expressed optimism that the roundtable would help advance the recovery, restoration, and reconstruction of Bangladesh’s economy.
They further reaffirmed strong consensus on the need for close coordination and cooperation among the Government, multilateral development agencies, bilateral development partners, and international financial institutions, and renewed their shared commitment to translating Bangladesh’s strategic vision into a concrete, partner-aligned financing roadmap for the years ahead, as the country navigates its graduation from Least Developed Country status.
The roundtable was attended by the Foreign Secretary along with senior representatives of the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industries, the Finance Division, the Financial Institutions Division, the SME Foundation, and Bangladesh Bank. Also present were representatives of foreign missions in Dhaka and international organisations, including the Embassy of Indonesia, the British High Commission, the Canadian High Commission, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), UNOPS, UNDP, UNESCO, GIZ Bangladesh, the Overseas Chinese Association in Bangladesh (OCAIB), Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the Islamic Development Bank, and PPD.