A group of the country's leading business leaders meet BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman at the party chairperson's office in the capital's Gulshan on Sunday. — Focus Bangla Story on Page 1 Acting Chairman of BNP Tarique Rahman has assured business leaders that he would implement business-friendly policies if elected to form the government in the next general election.
He made this assurance during a meeting with prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs on Sunday evening at his Gulshan office.
The meeting, which took place from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the BNP Chairperson's office in Dhaka's Gulshan, was attended by BNP Standing Committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, according to BNP media cell-member Shayrul Kabir Khan.
During the exchange of views, Mahbubur Rahman, President of the International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh, said, "We have come here to share our condolences with you on the passing of your beloved mother and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. We want to stand by you during this difficult time."
He added, "We have nothing else to discuss at this moment."
He also invited Tarique Rahman to join a memorial and Doa Mahfil for Begum Khaleda Zia on Monday afternoon, organised by the ICC Bangladesh at Hotel Inter Continental.
In response, Tarique Rahman said, "You top business leaders are here at this time, and it is also an opportunity for me to hear the challenges facing the business community." After the meeting, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury spoke to the journalists. He said: "Two and a half hours is not too long, but Tarique Rahman was able to hear from the business representatives about the significant challenges in trade, investment, and commerce."
The business community highlighted major issues such as declining investment, reduced employment, and problems on the capital market.
"They also discussed how bureaucracy, bribery, high bank interest rates, and corruption are increasing the cost of doing business, which affects the public. This, in turn, makes it difficult for investors, including foreign investors, to come in. They hope that if BNP comes to power, these issues will be addressed and the cost of business reduced."
He adds, "We have formulated policies, and these were presented to the business community, showing how they can be implemented. All the major economic reforms in Bangladesh took place during BNP's tenure.
"The business leaders expressed confidence that BNP, being a business-friendly political party, will be able to address these challenges if it comes to power. Preparations have already been made in the policy framework to implement the major reforms needed."
Mohammad Hatem, President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), laments the interim government is not willing to listen to the opinions of the business community, which is a major challenge at this time.
There are also significant challenges related to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and banking issues, while the ongoing energy crisis remains another major concern for businesses, he mentions.
He warns that amendments to the labour law could be a setback for export-oriented industries and the creation of new employment opportunities.
Besides, he also mentions, at this time, LDC graduation could be a detrimental decision to export-oriented industries.
In response, Tarique Rahman reportedly agreed with the BKMEA president, according to sources from the meeting.
The chairman-apparent of the former ruling party also requested leading commodity importers to ensure a smooth supply chain of essential goods ahead of Ramadan.
In response, Mostafa Kamal, Chairman and Managing Director of Meghna Group of Industries, reportedly agreed with him on the matter.
Meeting sources said Anwar ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, President of BCI, stated that law and order issues and mob culture are the current challenges, and everyone emphasized this point along with the energy issue.
Among others, Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Pharmaceuticals, Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of BGMEA, Mir Nasir Hossain, former president of FBCCI, Simeen Rahman, group CEO of Transcom, AK Azad, managing director of Ha-Meem Group, Ali Akbar, chairman of Bangladesh Steel Re-rolling Mills Limited (BSRM); Amirul Haque, managing director of Seacom Group, Priti Chakraborty, senior vice president of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI); and Abdul Muktadir, president of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) also spoke at the event.
Other attending the meeting include Kutubuddin Ahmed, former president of MCCI and BGMEA; Showkat Aziz Russell, president of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA); Matiur Rahman, chairman and managing director of Uttara Group of Companies; Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman of Pran RFL Group; Taskeen Ahmed, president of DCCI and Mohammad Jahangir Alam, president of Bangladesh Steel Manufacturers Association (BSMA) are also present at the meeting.
Other attendees are Kamran T. Rahman, president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI); Fazlul Hoque, former president of BKMEA and Nihad Kabir, former president of MCCI.
Besides, Aziz Al Kaiser, Chairman of Partex Star Group, Hossain Khaled, former president of DCCI; Md Shahriar, president of Bangladesh Garments Accessories & Packaging Manufacturers & Exporters Association; Moynul Islam, president of Bangladesh Ceramic Manufacturers & Exporters Association; Abdul Hai Sarkar, president of Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB); and Sharif Zahir, chairman of United Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL), were present at the meeting.
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