Dhaka, May 14 -- Investment and employment must not become casualties in political disputes, the head of Bangladesh's principal investment authority said on Monday, as representatives from 17 political parties gathered in Dhaka for a rare instance of cross-party dialogue amid ongoing economic and political uncertainty.

"Investment and employment are matters of national interest, transcending the interests of any single political party," said Ashik Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), in his opening remarks at the agency's headquarters in Agargaon.

"There are several crises affecting the investment sector. I look forward to productive discussions on how we might overcome these challenge...