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Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has expressed interest in setting up an office in Dhaka, citing Bangladesh’s large Facebook user base and the potential for online businesses, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed said.
The US technology company also expressed interest in working with Bangladesh to expand e-commerce and online businesses and strengthen cybersecurity.
Shama made the remarks at a press conference held at Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday (September 22), local time.
The press conference was organised to brief the media on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s activities on the first day of his New York visit to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
According to Shama, Bangladesh held a “highly productive” discussion with Meta. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was scheduled to attend the meeting but could not join due to a scheduling conflict. Senior Bangladeshi officials, however, took part in the discussions.
Regarding the proposed Dhaka office, the state minister said Meta was “very interested” in opening an office in Bangladesh. The possibility of making Dhaka an important hub for the company’s operations was also discussed.
The country’s large Facebook user base was cited as one of the reasons behind Meta’s interest. Digital advertising data indicate that Bangladesh had more than 75.1 million Facebook users in August 2026. However, such figures are based on Meta’s advertising data and should not be treated as the actual number of active users.
The meeting also covered various policy issues related to the digital sector, including Bangladesh’s cybersecurity legislation. The two sides exchanged views on potential cooperation in expanding e-commerce, online businesses and the digital economy.
As part of expanding its operations in Bangladesh, Meta has also recently introduced payment facilities for local businesses. The facility allows Bangladeshi businesses to pay for advertising on Meta’s platforms through local payment services such as bKash, potentially making digital advertising more accessible to small and medium-sized businesses.
