The government awarded the Commercially Important Person (CIP) status cards 2018 to 176 businesspeople on Thursday for their outstanding contribution to the country's export and trade.
Of them, 138 recipients were given the cards under export category, while 38 under trade category.
Besides, some 46 persons got the cards as ex-officio of different trade-bodies and chambers.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi handed over the CIP cards to the recipients at a city hotel.
The facilities that a CIP cardholder enjoys include priority in seat reservations in airlines, rail, road and waterway transports.
A CIP also gets a letter of introduction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for travelling abroad.
They get special pass to enter the secretariat, can use special sticker on their cars, and get invitation to attend some public functions.
The CIPs and their dependents also get cabins in hospitals on a priority basis.
The exporters, who were nominated CIPs, are - Hasan Ahmed, managing director of Popular Jute Exchange Ltd, Sheikh Nasir Uddin, chairman of Akij Jute Mills Ltd, Md Fazlur Rahman, managing director of Rahman Jute Spinners Ltd, Mohammed Anisur Razzaque, chairman of Tropical Shoe Industries Group, Ziaur Rahman, managing director of Bay Footwear Ltd, Md Saiful Islam, managing director of Picard Bangladesh Ltd, Md Nazmul Hassan, managing director of Leatherex Footwear Ltd, Md Hedayetullah, managing director of FB Footwear Ltd, Zainal Abedin Majumder, managing director of Abedin Group, Iqbal Ahmed, managing director of Sea Mark Ltd, Shyamol Das, managing director of MU Sea Foods Ltd, Md Shahin Howlader, chairman of Crimson Rosella Seafood Ltd, S M Mizanur Rahman, managing director of Atlas Sea Foods Ltd, Md Mehedi Hassan, managing director of Bright Sea Foods Group, Md Tauhidur Rahman, managing director of Fresh Foods Ltd, Masud Parvez, managing director of Salam Sea Foods Group, Sharif Zahir, managing director of Ananta Apparels Ltd, Md Ismail Hossain, managing director of Sharmin Apparels, Inamul Haq Khan, managing director of Ananta Garments Ltd, Miran Ali, managing director of Tarashima Apparels, Ahsan Kabir Khan, managing director of Interfab Shirt Manufacturing Ltd, Tanvir Ahmed, director of Cosmopolitan Industries Ltd, Mustajirul Shovon Islam, managing director of Sparrow Apparels Ltd, Abul Kashem, deputy managing director of AKH Fashions Ltd, Md Ali Azim Khan, managing director of Shinest Apparels, Md Refayet Ullah Khan, director of Tusuka Trousers Ltd, Md Khasru Chowdhury, managing director of Nipa Fashion Wear Industry Ltd, Wasim Rahman, managing director of MBM Garments Ltd, Md Siddiqur Rahman, chairman of Bando Design Ltd, Mujibur Rahman, managing director of Smart Jeans Ltd, M Sazzad Alam, managing director of Raquef Apparels, Humayun Rashid, director of Energypac Fashions Ltd, A K Azad, managing director of Ha-Meem Group, Abdus Salam Murshedy, managing director of Envoy Group, Atiqul Islam, director of Islam Group, Lutfe Mawla Ayub, chairman of Rabab Fashion Group, Md Aziul Islam, managing director of Alif Group, Sejuti Daulah, director of Dird Garments Group, Syed Nurul Islam, chairman of Well Group, Mohammad Monsur, managing director of Monsur General Trading, Gobinda Chandra Saha, proprietor of Rajdhani Enterprises, Omar Farooque, proprietor of Alin Foods Trade, Harun Ar Rashid, proprietor of Harun Enterprise, Sheikh Abdul Kader, proprietor of Agriconcern, Md Rafiqul Islam Liton, proprietor of Liton World Link, Enamul Hassan Khan, chairman of Promi Agro Foods Ltd, Anjan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Food and Beverage Ltd, Abdul Motaleb, chairman of Kishwan Snacks Ltd, Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, managing director of Pran Dairy Ltd, Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, managing director of Uniglory Cycle Industries Ltd, Subrata Paul, proprietor of HR International, Samuel S Chowdhury, chairman of Square Pharmaceuticals Limited, Nazmul Ahsan, managing director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited, Shafiqul Alam Selim, managing director of Karupannya Rangpur Ltd, Towhid Bin Abdus Salam, proprietor of Classical Handmade Products BD, Md Belal Hossain, chief executive officer of BD Creation, Bartha Geeti Baroi, director of Corr the Jute Works, Abu Alam Chowdhury, proprietor of Conexpo, Mohammad Abdullah Zaber, director of Zaber and Zubair Fabrics Ltd, Masood Dawood Akbani, managing director of ACS Textiles Ltd, Abdullah Mohammad Talha, director of Noman Terry Towel Mills Ltd, and Jashim Uddin, managing director of Bengal Group, among others.
Speaking at the programme, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said many ready-made garments units are relocating themselves from China and Vietnam to Bangladesh.
The country would be able to achieve an export target of US$80 billion by 2024. Local businesses require competitiveness before Bangladesh's final graduation from LDS status in 2026, he added.
Speaking at the event, FBCCI President Jashim Uddin said regulators like the Bangladesh Bank or the Financial Reporting Council need to think about small businesses when they formulate new regulations.
He also urged the Ministry of Commerce to provide CIP cards to all FBCCI directors.
Ministry of Commerce Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh presided over the event.
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