Staff Reporter :
BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has warned that excessive regulation is stifling Bangladesh’s economy, cautioning that without “serious deregulation” both investment and growth will remain stagnant.
Speaking at a CPD dialogue in Dhaka on Sunday to mark the interim government’s first year, the former commerce minister cited the example of opening a restaurant requiring 19 separate permissions, describing such procedures as “common across all sectors” and a major deterrent for investors.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s low ease-of-doing-business ranking, Mr Khasru called for minimising government intervention, allowing trade bodies to self-regulate, and enabling foreign investors to register companies online “upon arrival”. He argued that excessive rules fuel corruption and entrench an “oligarchy” benefiting a small number of businesses.
He also emphasised the need for governance reforms, transparency, accountability, and democratic elections to sustain development, alongside skill-building initiatives, a creative economy to connect marginalised communities with global markets, and targeted support for returning expatriates.
Criticising the current budget as serving a “looting economy” similar to those of previous governments, the BNP leader urged an end to confrontational politics. “Without change in our political culture, a hundred reforms will be of no use,” he said.
