The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh has gone up by 13.75 percent in 2012, despite a weak global investment climate.
The “World Investment Report” of the UNCTAD, released on Wednesday, puts Bangladesh in second place in South Asia in drawing FDI last year.
India was in first place in attracting FDI in South Asia, the report said.
The report said FDI flow suffered throughout South Asia , affecting India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2012 compared to the previous year.
In a press conference, the Board of Investment said that foreign investment in 2012 for Bangladesh amounted to $1.29 billion, which was 13.75 percent more than in 2011.
Meanwhile, throughout the world, FDI amounted to $1.35 trillion – 18 percent less in 2012 compared to the preceding year.
“It is good that we could keep up the investment flow despite global recession. But we need more,” Investment Board Executive Chairman SA Samad said.
Energy Advisor to Prime Minister, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury described this as a positive trend. “The world is gripped by economic recession. It is very creditable to maintain the FDI flow in such circumstances.”
According to the report, India topped the South Asian region for FDI by attracting $255 billion — but that was $106 billion lower than in 2011.
Pakistan stood third with $8.47 billion, $4.8 billion less than what it got in 2011.
Last year, Bangladesh got the most of its FDI from Malaysia, Egypt, United Kingdom, South Korea, Netherlands, Thailand and Hong Kong.
It included $347 million for telecommunications sector, $307 million for textiles, $137 million for banks, $126 for energy and petroleum, and $60 million for agriculture.
Source: Bd news24