If we don’t fix this, the brain drain will persist for another generation.

Bangladesh has talent, ambition, and capital—but unless we remove these roadblocks, we’ll keep losing our best and brightest.

We need real reform.

👉 Engage actual investors, not just those who enjoy calling themselves that.
👉 Build forward-looking policies to support new companies.
👉 Attract local & global capital—not push it away.
Our entrepreneurs shouldn’t be penalized for past mistakes.

The result?

❌ A startup ecosystem on thin ice, surviving on foreign capital that gets zero local support.
❌ Founders struggle while billions sit idle in banks.
❌ A weak ecosystem means fewer successful companies → fewer jobs.
And you wonder why graduates dream of leaving?

5️⃣ Policymakers have ignored global investors—despite the fact that 94%+ of all startup funding in Bangladesh is foreign.

Instead of fostering an investment-friendly environment, outdated regulations block ecosystem growth and stifle entrepreneurs.

4️⃣ Some "active" funds have zero deal flow.

They’re disconnected from founders and have no presence in the ecosystem.

How do you expect to invest in startups when you’re not even talking to them?

3️⃣ Raising funds locally is nearly impossible.

Wealthy families are skeptical of startups due to past failures. Fund managers fail to convince them of venture capital’s risk vs. reward potential.

Billions sit idle in banks, while entrepreneurs struggle for funding.

Some inconvenient truths no one wants to discuss:

1️⃣ Licenses are more about prestige than execution. Flashy announcements, no real investment.

2️⃣ Most “fund managers” haven’t even taken the time to understand how VC works globally—or connect their portfolio to global capital.

Here’s what nobody wants to talk about:

✅ 6 "Venture Capital" licenses (target: $50M each)
✅ 6 "Private Equity" licenses (target: $110M each)
Yet only 4 funds have made a single investment.

Less than $10M invested since 2019. That's a joke.

How did I miss that...

4/ It’s still more about who you know rather than who is right for the job.

No amount of funding alone can fix this.

We need actual experts making well-informed decisions—decisions that lead to investable companies & real job creation for the youth & middle class.

3/ Most local investors don’t understand how global funding works.

Most programs fail to identify the critical skills founders need.

Meanwhile, gov’t entities, development agencies & embassies continue onboarding personnel without the expertise to build real infrastructure.

2/ Because the infrastructure doesn’t exist.

The Bangladeshi startup ecosystem still operates on its own rules—disconnected from global best practices & obsessed with short-term fixes instead of the structural reforms needed to support newer startups.

Bangladeshis must actively hold organizations accountable for what they promise—especially the flashy MOUs, photo ops, and launch events that create zero jobs.

Visibility without impact does nothing for the millions of young people entering the workforce. Demand better.

Development capital works best when it becomes irrelevant—when it creates a sustainable system for the country to move forward. But right now, it’s failing Bangladesh’s future, not just its past.