Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chaired the first meeting of the newly formed Private Sector Advisory Council at his Tejgaon office, according to a press release from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority.
The premier established the country’s first-ever advisory council for the private sector to ensure business leaders can provide timely, direct and structured feedback to the government on business climate, investment environment and reform priorities.
The council members selected by the prime minister include Dr. Arif Dowla (ACI PLC), Syed Nasim Manzur (Apex Footwear Ltd), Hafizur Rahman Khan (Runner Group), Ahsan Khan Chowdhury (PRAN-RFL Group), Ziaur Rahman (Bay Group), Abdul Muktadir (Incepta Group), Md Abdul Jabbar (DBL Group), Sohana Rouf Chowdhury (Rangs Group) and Syed Mohammad Tanvir (Pacific Jeans Group).
Alongside council members, several key officials attended the meeting, including Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, State Minister Anindya Islam Amit, Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin and BIDA Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun.
During the meeting, the prime minister delivered opening remarks, followed by an open discussion on key issues such as regulatory environment, energy, human capital, taxation, logistics, export diversification and foreign direct investment.
Council members welcomed the initiative and praised the government’s openness in engaging the private sector to create a more business-friendly environment.
The council will now prepare a summarized proposal along with a targeted action plan to address immediate challenges in the business sector.
The prime minister advised the council to use evidence-based policies and international benchmarks to ensure Bangladesh remains competitive globally.
BIDA will act as the coordinating body, working with relevant ministries and agencies to implement the proposed plans.
BIDA Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury said the formation of the council is a key reform to ensure structured private sector input at the highest level and expressed gratitude to the prime minister for bringing together leading business figures to support the country’s investment agenda.