Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has called for working with the government to promote investment prospects and expand business opportunities in Bangladesh.
Today, Tuesday (November 26), CEOs, managing directors and country heads of more than a dozen companies met the Chief Advisor at the Jamuna State Guest House to discuss business and investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
Calling on top executives of multinational companies, the Chief Advisor said, “We have to work together as a team. You should become the brand ambassadors of the country and encourage potential investors to come to Bangladesh.”
The CEOs of multinational companies urged the government to make licensing and taxation easier, provide one-stop services at BIDA, and improve credit ratings to encourage investors to come to Bangladesh.
They praised the government’s initiatives in labor rights reforms and assured all kinds of support. The Chief Advisor requested the executives to maintain transparency in business. He said, help us identify our problems and challenges so that we can solve them.
Special Envoy of the Chief Advisor for International Affairs Lutfe Siddiqui, Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Chowdhury Ashiq Mahmud Bin Harun and Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) Abdur Rahman Khan were present.
Special Envoy of the Chief Advisor Latif Siddiqui termed the executives as bearers of business standards and said that there was a trust deficit in the past, which we need to overcome.
BIDA Executive Chairman Ashiq Mahmud said that a relationship manager is being appointed in BIDA to facilitate the business environment. He added that he and Latif Siddiqui will visit Singapore next month to discuss with rating agencies.
NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan said that a national single window is being launched, which will significantly simplify the process of conducting business.
Among the multinational companies present at the meeting were Javed Akhtar, Chairman and Managing Director of Unilever Bangladesh Limited, Eric M. Walker, Managing Director of Chevron Bangladesh, Yasir Azman, CEO of Grameenphone, Md. Mahbub Ur Rahman, CEO of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), Muhammad Alauddin Ahmed, CEO of MetLife Bangladesh, Abdur Rashid, Country Managing Director of SGS Bangladesh Limited, MHM Fairoz, Managing Director and CEO of Singer Bangladesh Limited, Md. Miarul Haque, Country Manager of DHL World Wide Express Bangladesh Limited, Sumitava Basu, Country Head of Marico Bangladesh Limited, Rubaba Daula, Country Managing Director of Oracle Bangladesh, among others.
