We welcome the move of Tata and Mittal to take up their multi-billion dollar investment in Bangladesh with the caretaker government . But the interim administration should clear dark clouds that now hover around foreign investment. The Niko graft cases against the two former Prime Ministers have certainly sent jitters to many in this regard. And we must take care of the fact that the past elected government had left the tricky issues of Tata and Mittal investment for the next elected government to decide. The global picture of FDI is highly skewed. In developing countries, FDI is concentrated in just a few of the largest economies, notably China and India. And on average, FDI represents only around 12% of total investment in developing countries. So, while attracting more foreign investment remains vital, it is clear that the key to progress is domestic investment. This means getting the conditions right for Bangladeshi firms to invest more in Bangladesh. This means engaging the business leaders of Bangladesh. While FDI is welcome, there should be some thinking about their quality also. Which are the sectors where FDI can really help us. Moreover, the issue of guarding our national interests is also of paramount importance. Export Processing Zones are okay but when other areas are targeted, extreme caution is necessary. Especially our precious natural resources like gas , coal etc. True, we do not the necessary funds or expertise to develop these sectors. That provides a justification for production sharing arrangements. Many global oil giants are operating in Bangladesh under such agreements. But offering them a stake is something different. We just cannot hand over our precious natural resources to foreign companies. That brings us to the five billion dollar investment proposal by Malaysia’s Westmont Group. Allowing the Group to build gas and power plants is one thing but offering them 35 per cent stake in Perobangla and BAPEX should be a different thing altogether. All FDI proposals need careful consideration and we think experts from the civil society should also be involved in this. If the political atmosphere improves after the elections the investment climate shall also improve. There will then be no dearth of foreign investment.