NN Online:
Chief Adviser (CA) Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday urged senior executives of multinational companies in Bangladesh to collaborate with the government in promoting the country to potential investors and expanding business opportunities.
He said, “We are a team for the country and as a team, we have to work together. So, be the brand ambassador of the country and it will encourage potential investors to come to Bangladesh.”
The chief adviser made the call when over a dozen chief executive officers, managing directors, and country heads called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna to discuss business and investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) & Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun and Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) Abdur Rahman Khan were also present in the meeting.
The business executives urged the government to ensure predictability in licensing and tax measures, improve ease of doing business, facilitate one-stop service in BIDA, and improve credit ratings to encourage investors to come to Bangladesh.
The business executives lauded the government’s initiatives of labour rights reforms and assured all kinds of support.
The chief adviser asked the executives to maintain transparency in businesses. “Help us identify issues and challenges so that we can address them,” he said.
Lutfey Siddiqi termed the CEOs as standard bearers in business. “There was a trust deficit in the past. We need to bridge that,” he said.
Ashik Chowdhury said they are introducing relationship managers in BIDA to ease the business.
He added that he and special envoy Lutfey Siddiqi will travel to Singapore next month to have discussions with the rating agencies.
The NBR chairman spoke about the launch of the National Single Window which would significantly ease the way of doing business.
Unilever Bangladesh Ltd Chairman & Managing Director Zaved Akhtar, Chevron Bangladesh Managing Director Eric M Walker, Grameenphone Chief Executive Officer Yasir Azman, The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd (HSBC) Chief Executive Officer Md Mahbubur Rahman MetLife Bangladesh Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Alauddin Ahmad, SGS Bangladesh Limited Country Managing Director Abdur Rashid, Singer Bangladesh Ltd Managing Director & CEO MHM Fairoz, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC CEO Najith Meewanage, Oracle Bangladesh Country Managing Director Rubaba Dowla, Marubeni Corporation Country Head Manabu Sugawara, Baraka Power Ltd Chairman Faisal Ahmed Chowdhury, LafargeHolcim Bangladesh Ltd CEO Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhury, DHL Worldwide Express Bangladesh Private Ltd Managing Director Md Miarul Haque, and Marico Bangladesh Limited Country Head Sumitava Basu among those, were present.
