Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) is completing five decades of its journey in Bangladesh’s investment and capital market landscape.
Established on October 1, 1976, the state-owned financial institution has played an important role in transforming savings into investment, providing capital to industry and business through bridge financing, and contributing to the development of the capital market by creating demand and supply for listed securities.
Established in continuation of the journey of democratic, economic and institutional development that began during the tenure of president Ziaur Rahman with national interest placed at the forefront, ICB has gradually expanded its role in response to the changing needs of the country’s economy.
Its contribution has gone beyond direct participation in the capital market. In 1977, ICB introduced investment schemes and margin lending, followed by the country’s first mutual fund in 1980 and a unit fund in 1981.
Over the years, these initiatives have helped create investment opportunities and channels for mobilizing long-term capital.
According to institutional data, ICB’s direct investment stands at around Tk8,900 crore, while indirect investment through various schemes and mutual funds is approximately Tk27,900 crore.
Around 238 companies have received support through these activities, of which nearly 80 have been listed on the capital market.
The activities have also contributed to the creation of around 20,000 jobs.
The Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund has emerged as another significant initiative, with Tk1,624.27 crore disbursed to 1,039 projects in the agriculture and ICT sectors as of June 30, 2025.
ICB’s five-decade journey has also involved considerable challenges, including market downturns, high financing costs, liquidity pressures, declining asset values, provisioning shortfalls and maturity mismatches, leading the government to provide Tk1,000 crore to strengthen its financial capacity.
As ICB marks its Golden Jubilee, it aims to expand into Alternative Investment Funds, ETFs, Sukuk, corporate bonds, and infrastructure financing while strengthening technology and corporate governance.
Why it matters
The Golden Jubilee highlights ICB's historical role in mobilizing domestic savings and capital while underscoring its strategic need for institutional modernization to support future economic growth.