The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is prepared to assist Bangladesh in attaining its goal of becoming an upper-middle-income nation and a trillion-dollar economy by 2034, declared ADB Vice President Yingming Yang.

"Our vision is to help Bangladesh realize its ambition of becoming an upper-middle-income country and a trillion-dollar economy by 2034. ADB remains committed to supporting a more productive, investment-driven, and resilient economy that creates opportunities across the country and improves the lives of all Bangladeshis," the ADB Vice President for South Central and West Asia stated during an exclusive interview with a local media.

The pledge follows Yang's official visit to Bangladesh from August 9 to 13, during which he engaged in high-level discussions regarding the multilateral lender's upcoming Country Partnership Strategy (CPS), ongoing policy dialogues on vital reform and investment priorities, and the implementation of the Integrated Growth Network Development (IGND) initiative.

Commending the country’s economic endurance, Yang pointed out that Bangladesh has exhibited remarkable stability, bolstered by robust remittance flows, steady service sector activity, and a vibrant private sector.

"The next opportunity is to translate this resilience into a deeper economic transformation," he remarked.

With macroeconomic conditions stabilizing, inflation easing, and investor trust improving, the ADB anticipates a gradual acceleration in national economic performance, projecting GDP growth to expand by 3.7% in FY2026 and 4.5% in FY2027.

To sustain this momentum, Yang stressed that continuous progress on structural reforms remains essential.

He described recent government actions—such as strengthening tax administration, improving banking sector governance, tackling non-performing loans, enforcing financial discipline, and transitioning toward a market-determined exchange rate mechanism—as highly encouraging.

"Looking ahead, Bangladesh can unlock stronger and more inclusive growth by improving the investment climate, expanding reliable and affordable energy, strengthening public investment management, diversifying exports, building workforce skills, creating opportunities for women and young people, and enhancing resilience," Yang added.

He underscored that developing the private sector and establishing investable markets are central to this transformation, allowing private capital to flow into productive industries, generate employment, and fuel sustainable expansion.

For the general public, these developments translate into higher-quality jobs, more competitive enterprises, better services, and broader prospects beyond traditional economic hubs.

Discussing the upcoming operational framework, Yang explained that ADB's engagement continually adapts to the nation’s evolving aspirations.

"As we prepare the next Country Partnership Strategy, our focus is on helping Bangladesh move toward a more diversified, competitive, inclusive, and resilient economy, anchored in private sector-led economic diversification and stronger resilience to shocks. In essence, our future partnership will support Bangladesh's move from resilience to transformation," he said.

He noted that the IGND framework will contribute to a more competitive and diversified economy capable of driving higher-quality growth and employment by lowering logistics costs, broadening economic access outside major cities, and linking enterprises and workers to larger markets.

"It can also help ensure that the benefits of growth are more broadly shared across regions and communities," he stated.

Highlighting regional integration, the ADB Vice President noted Bangladesh’s advantageous geographical position situated between the fast-growing markets of South and Southeast Asia.

He recalled that ADB President Masato Kanda, during his visit to Bangladesh in May, underscored the country's vast potential to emerge as a regional hub for transport, logistics, energy, and digital connectivity.

"By leveraging its strategic location, Bangladesh can strengthen trade, attract investment, integrate into regional value chains, and deepen its economic links with these regions. This is another important dimension of Bangladesh's transition from resilience to transformation," Yang noted.

However, Yang cautioned that expanding physical infrastructure alone would not suffice.

He explained that highways, railways, seaports, border terminals, and energy connections achieve maximum utility only when paired with efficient customs procedures, standardized benchmarks, predictable regulatory environments, and smooth logistics, emphasizing that "Physical connectivity and policy coherence must be advanced together."

Yang further noted that heightened regional energy cooperation would bolster energy security and facilitate the transition toward cleaner power sources.

Additionally, ADB’s recently introduced USD 20 billion Asia-Pacific Digital Highway initiative offers Bangladesh an avenue to expand reliable broadband coverage, strengthen digital infrastructure, and cultivate digital and AI competencies.

Aligning with the Digital Highway initiative will reinforce the country's inclusive growth agenda, addressing the requirements of farmers, entrepreneurs, exporters, youth, and women-led enterprises.

"Initiatives such as the IGND and the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) also provide important platforms for advancing these objectives," he added.

Yang concluded by noting that deeper regional integration reinforces rather than replaces internal policy reforms.

Enhancing domestic competitiveness allows Bangladesh to capitalize more effectively on regional opportunities while expanded connectivity generates stronger incentives to invest, innovate, and reform, ultimately driving lasting economic impact through private sector leadership.