Gov. Ahsan H. Mansur said at the Bangladesh Investment Summit today, April 7, that Bangladesh Bank intends to establish a special fund of around Tk900 crore to offer new enterprises financial support.

He stated this at the “Startup Connect” session of the ongoing Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 at the Hotel InterContinental Dhaka. “The central bank is intending to build a special fund of nearly Tk900 crore, which will only provide money to startup enterprises,” he said.

He mentioned that an official announcement regarding the initiative will be released shortly. While addressing the four-day Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 at the Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, he stated that Bangladesh Bank plans to develop this fund through private commercial banks, which will become equity stakeholders. The funds will be exclusively allocated for equity investments in promising startup enterprises, as he explained during the session titled “Bangladesh Startup Connect,” held at the hotel. Additionally, Bangladesh Bank will contribute approximately Tk500 crore as a co-financer, with the funds designated for both equity investments and lending, he noted. “This marks the beginning for startup businesses; we aim to expand this fund in tandem with the growth of the startup sector,” he remarked.

Although the formal inauguration of the summit is set for April 9, the event officially began with the launch of Bangladesh Startup Connect 2025, a key segment that highlights the country’s dynamic startup ecosystem. The Startup Expo, taking place at the same location, has gathered global investors, visionary startup founders, and ecosystem facilitators to explore opportunities within Bangladesh’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

The session titled “Empowering Innovation, Connecting Opportunity” included participation from both local and international innovators. In his keynote address, Tanvir Ali, a Bangladeshi entrepreneur based in Canada, emphasized the potential of the nation’s youth and the increasing demand for innovative enterprises.”Bangladesh is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, yet investment in startups still lags behind peer nations,” he noted.

During the session, which featured the Bida chairman, the governor of Bangladesh Bank, and important figures from the ICT industry, a virtual message from LinkedIn’s co-founder was also shared.