Bangladesh's economic zones draw $300 million in private investment — and 42,000 new jobs

Behind the headline number are 42,000 people with new work. Bangladesh's economic zones — dedicated industrial areas built to make it easier to start and grow a business — have attracted nearly $300 million in private investment with support from the World Bank, according to the Bank's Bangladesh office. Factories and firms moving into the zones are expanding business opportunities well beyond the gates: suppliers, transporters and services grow around them. The World Bank highlighted the milestone as part of its push to mobilise private capital for investment-led growth — money that turns into payrolls, skills and a stronger, more resilient industrial base for a country of more than 170 million people.

SDG 8 · Decent work and economic growth — Mechanism: funding & finance