If the recent investment summit fails to deliver the anticipated results, it would be a regrettable outcome for the nation, the Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) warned during a press briefing on Sunday.
At a press conference held at the party’s central office in Bijoynagar, AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju expressed concern that without reconsidering the government’s ambition to graduate to a middle-income country by 2026, the summit may fail to attract meaningful investments.
“The vision to exit the list of Least Developed Countries (LDC) by relying on exaggerated and misleading economic data from the previous regime is alarming. It could fracture the backbone of our economy,” Monju said. He warned that such a shift could jeopardize Bangladesh’s competitive edge in South Asia, leading both local and foreign investors to lose confidence in the market.
The AB Party called for transparent publication of all relevant economic indicators—including population, GDP, per capita income, poverty rate, education and skill levels, purchasing power, reserve and debt levels, and global credit ratings—so that investors can make informed decisions.
Monju referenced Bangladesh’s LDC classification in 1975 and credited former President Ziaur Rahman for laying the economic foundation that still sustains the nation. He warned that trying to rush into middle-income status, while abandoning LDC benefits such as tax-free exports, could trigger a trade collapse.
He emphasized that without affordable loans, raw material imports—as well as both domestic and foreign trade—would suffer. ‘These are the questions investors are asking. Without addressing them, no summit can achieve its goals,’ Monju added.
Highlighting the need for a strategic export plan, he stressed that investment feasibility must be evaluated with both local and global markets in mind. Key challenges include infrastructure readiness, tax and VAT policies, energy security, domestic investor protection, and reserve management of loans and dollars.
While appreciating the interim government’s intentions, the AB Party urged authorities to harness the interest surrounding the summit and to suspend the LDC graduation process in the interest of economic stability.
Party leaders including Joint General Secretary Barrister Zubair Ahmad Bhuiyan, Advocate Abdullah Al Mamun Rana, Anwar Sadat Tutul, and others were also present at the event.
LND/BG
