Shahnila Azhar appointed new member of Invest Bangladesh
Photo: Shahnila Azhar
Private sector expert Shahnila Azhar has been appointed as a Member (Policy and Research) of Invest Bangladesh. She is the first professional from the private sector to lead this important division of the organization.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification appointing her to the position at Invest Bangladesh, which operates under the Prime Minister’s Office. The appointment will remain effective for one year from the date she joins.
Reacting to her appointment, Shahnila Azhar said, “The importance and pace of improving the investment climate are now significantly greater than before. I am delighted to join Invest Bangladesh at this time. I look forward to advancing reforms through evidence-based analysis and successful global practices to make investing and doing business in Bangladesh easier.”
Shahnila Azhar has 25 years of experience in international development, including investment climate improvement, market systems and institutional reforms. She has held senior positions at various international organizations and led successful programs across South and Southeast Asia and East Africa.
While serving as head of the private sector development program of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) in Bangladesh, she led several reform initiatives to improve the business environment and expand opportunities for quality employment.
She also played a significant role in introducing Bangladesh Bank’s Automated Cheque Processing System and Electronic Funds Transfer Network and digitizing the operations of the Credit Information Bureau. In addition, she contributed to reforms aimed at strengthening workplace safety in the country’s readymade garment sector following the Rana Plaza collapse.
Before the formation of Invest Bangladesh, she worked closely with various teams of the then Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). Her work primarily focused on simplifying work permit procedures for foreign investors, repatriation of investment capital and royalty payments.
Shahnila Azhar earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from the Institute of Business Administration at the University of Dhaka and an MBA in Finance and International Business from Columbia University. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society recognizing academic excellence in business education.
Invest Bangladesh was established on August 20, 2026, through the merger of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and Public Private Partnership Authority.
It is the country’s apex investment promotion agency. Its primary responsibility is to attract private investment and facilitate business growth by bringing investment promotion and facilitation, economic zones and public private partnership activities under one roof.
Policy and Research is one of the seven core divisions of Invest Bangladesh. The organization’s other six divisions are Investment Development, Technology and Innovation, Investment Services and Aftercare, Industrial Zone Management, Public Private Partnership, and Admin and Finance.
