Bangladesh is the home of social business and Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus who is a patron of the Bangladesh Social Fund. The Bangladesh economy has shown tremendous growth in recent years, and with a booming economy and rapid industrial expansion, it is an ideal place for new investments.
Bangladesh has a highly educated and industrious workforce with the lowest wages in the region. It is also strategically located, and will soon enjoy duty-free access to India and other countries through the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). It currently has tariff-free access to the EU, Canada, Australia and Japan. Bangladesh has very liberal FDI rules, allowing 100% foreign equity with an unrestricted exit policy and easy repatriation of profit and income. It has several export processing zones, and has proved to be very efficient in export-oriented industries. Energy prices are also very low compared to other countries in the region.
Investors in one of the world's most densely populated countries typically benefit from one of the highest appreciating real estate markets in the world. The garment and textile industry, which dominates the export sector, has been growing at 40% per annum, and remains the largest employer in the country. The highlight herein is the varied and plentiful potential in the developing market of Bangladesh.
Further industries in which social businesses may find exponential growth in this emerging South Asian economy include: rural electrification, infrastructure (bridges and ports), wind power, flood management systems, and countless others.