UNB, Dhaka

LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said Bangladesh’s political situation has improved compared to the past and expressed hope that sustained stability would pave the way for stronger economic growth, increased investment, and job creation.

“We believe that if we can ensure stability in the country, we will be able to move forward with our goals of economic development through increasing investment and creating employment opportunities,” he said at a seminar titled “Cooperation on Markets, Policy, Alignment, Security, and Sovereignty”.

The Institute of Strategy and Tactics Research (ISTR) organised the seminar at a hotel in the capital.

Fakhrul, also BNP secretary general, said government initiatives such as family cards, farmer cards and canal excavation programmes have created hope among the people.

However, he identified slow bureaucratic processes as a major obstacle to investment, noting that delays by government agencies often discourage foreign investors.

The pace at which our agencies handle investment issues creates a negative situation. “Foreign investors become frustrated. This has become a major problem,” he said.

SEE PAGE 4 COL 4