Business Report :
The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) has called for urgent policy alignment and a national logistics strategy to strengthen competitiveness in Bangladesh’s trade and transport sector, which employs nearly 70 lakh people and contributes around 20 per cent to the GDP.
Speaking at a ‘AmCham Breakfast Meeting on Port & Logistics Management’, held on Monday at a city hotel , AmCham Bangladesh President Syed Ershad Ahmed said the logistics sector, despite its size and importance, remains underdeveloped and fragmented.
“Bangladesh ranks low on global indices, with only average scores in customs clearance and infrastructure.
A national logistics policy drafted in 2024 is yet to be implemented. We need immediate stakeholder alignment, effective strategy, and policy support to unlock the sector’s full potential,” he said.
The event, supported by UPS Bangladesh, brought together key stakeholders from port authorities, shipping companies, logistics providers, and US businesses.
Rear Adm SM Moniruzzaman, chairman of Chattogram Port Authority, and Philip Grove, director of Business Development at Ellicott Dredge Enterprises, attended as guest speakers.
Grove, reflecting on his 16-year engagement with Bangladesh, emphasised the importance of visibility in logistics operations, including cargo tracking, cost efficiency, and access to real-time data.
He said modern cloud-based and AI-driven solutions could enhance Bangladesh’s logistics efficiency, while also opening new opportunities for US-Bangladesh collaboration.
The dialogue, moderated by AmCham Executive Director Chowdhury Kaiser Mohammad Riyadh, focused on enhancing US export potential through better port and logistics management, improving the business climate for US investors, and expanding investment opportunities in the sector.
Industry leaders including Captain Sohail Hasan, managing director & CEO of Western Marine Shipyard; Engr Harun-Ur-Rashid, CEO & country head of Mediterranean Shipping Company Bangladesh Ltd; Yasser Rizvi, additional managing director of Summit Alliance Port Ltd and representative of BICDA; Kabir Ahmed, chairman & CEO of Conveyor Logistics Ltd; Syed Mohammad Arif, chairman of Bangladesh Shipping Agents’ Association; Mohiuddin Abdul Kadir, president of CILT Bangladesh; and Syed Mohammad Tarique, head of customer relations at RSGT Bangladesh, were also present at the meeting and shared recommendations to strengthen the sector.
