The Centre for Policy Dialogue, a non-governmental think tank in Bangladesh, has warned that investment in the country could face serious challenges if the next national election is not held on time.

Speaking at a seminar in Dhaka today, Professor Mustafizur Rahman, a Distinguished Fellow at the CPD, said political uncertainty could rise if the election is delayed, and that could hurt investor confidence.

He stressed that political stability is key for attracting investments. While a recent investment summit brought some optimism, Dr Rahman pointed out that actual foreign investment pledges were not very strong.

He also made a comparison with Vietnam, noting that the Southeast Asian country has received 360 billion dollars in foreign direct investment, while Bangladesh has only attracted 22 billion.