Meta Wants to Open Office in Dhaka: State Minister for Foreign Affairs

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has expressed interest in establishing an office in the capital Dhaka, citing Bangladesh’s growing number of Facebook users and the potential of its online business market. The US technology company has also expressed interest in cooperating with Bangladesh to expand e-commerce and online businesses and working with the country on cybersecurity-related issues.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obayed disclosed the information 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 discuss various programmes on the first day of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s New York visit, including his participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Shama Obayed said Bangladesh had held highly productive discussions with Meta. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was scheduled to attend the meeting but could not participate due to his schedule. However, high-level representatives attended the discussions on behalf of Bangladesh.

The state minister said discussions were held on establishing a Meta office in Dhaka, adding that the company is highly interested in opening an office in Bangladesh. The possibility of developing Dhaka as an important centre for its operations was also discussed.

Bangladesh’s large Facebook user base was also discussed as one of the reasons behind this interest. According to various digital statistics, Facebook had more than 75.1 million estimated users in Bangladesh in August 2026. However, these figures are derived from Meta’s advertising-based statistics and should not be considered the actual number of active users.

Policy issues in Bangladesh’s digital sector, including the country’s cybersecurity law, also came up during the discussions with Meta. At the same time, the possibility of Meta’s cooperation in expanding e-commerce, online businesses and the digital economy in Bangladesh was discussed, Shama Obayed said.

Against the backdrop of expanding Meta’s operations in Bangladesh, the company recently introduced local payment facilities for businesses in the country. Through the facility, Bangladeshi businesses can pay for advertisements on Meta’s platforms using local payment systems such as bKash. This has created a new opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to use digital advertising.

In addition, Meta and LightCastle Partners recently organised an event in Dhaka on artificial intelligence and digital technology. The event highlighted training for small and medium-sized businesses on digital marketing and the use of AI-based business tools. Under Meta’s “Small Business Growth Academy,” training programmes are also underway for more than 1,000 small and medium-sized businesses in Bangladesh.

The state minister said new areas of cooperation with Meta could emerge by leveraging Bangladesh’s large number of social media users and rapidly expanding online business market. In particular, such cooperation could play an important role in digital commerce, entrepreneurship development, online security and technology-driven employment.