Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur on Monday announced that the central bank is taking steps to establish a dedicated fund of Tk 800 to 900 crore to support the country’s growing startup ecosystem.

“The fund will be channeled through commercial banks,” he said at a panel discussion at the inaugural session of Bangladesh Startup Connect 2025, held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dhaka.

The event is part of the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025, organised under the theme “Empowering Innovation, Connecting Opportunities.”

The event opened with a formal inauguration followed by a keynote speech from Tanveer Ali, Chairman of Constellation Asset Management Company Ltd and Independent Director of Startup Bangladesh Ltd.

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The panel also featured several other speakers including Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the ICT Division; Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of BIDA; and Shish Haider Chowdhury, Secretary of the ICT Division and Chairman of Startup Bangladesh Ltd.

The session was moderated by Sadia Haque, CEO of ShareTrip.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s strong potential in the startup space, Governor Mansur referenced the success of bKash and expressed optimism about the country producing more breakthrough ventures.

“I want to see at least 10 unicorns like bKash in Bangladesh in the future,” he said.

Shish Haider Chowdhury also shared updates on the government’s preparations for a 'Fund of Funds,' aimed at mobilising investment to reinforce the startup ecosystem.

“This fund will offer critical support to early- and growth-stage startups, enabling them to scale, expand globally, and build long-term sustainability,” he said.

Throughout the day, the summit will host startup pitches, policy roundtables, and sector-specific sessions focusing on FinTech, SaaS, Logistics, HealthTech, AgriTech, EdTech, and AI.

A key feature of the summit is the Youth Innovation Challenge 2025, organised by Startup Bangladesh.

This segment features 15 standout youth-led ventures from across the country, giving young entrepreneurs a platform to pitch their ideas directly to top investors and decision-makers.

Startup Connect 2025 is jointly organised by Startup Bangladesh Ltd, the ICT Division, and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), highlighting the country's rapidly evolving startup landscape and its growing appeal to international investors.

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