The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) held an AmCham Dialogue on “Policy Alignment to Enhance the Trade and Investment Climate.” on January 26, 2025, at the Westin Dhaka. Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Honorable Advisor, Ministry of Finance, graced the program as the Chief Guest, and Mr. Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, FCMA, Chairman, National Board of Revenue (NBR), has also attended as the Special Guest. Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director, CPD presented the keynote at the dialogue event.
The event was consisted with a high level panel discussion with the Honorable Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Chairman, National Board of Revenue (NBR), Mr. Forrest E. Cookson, Economist and Former AmCham President, Mr. Ala Uddin Ahmad, Director – FICCI and CEO, MetLife Bangladesh, Mr. Sabbir Ahmed, Country Manager, Bangladesh, Nepal & Bhutan, VISA Worldwide Singapore Pte. Ltd. , Mr. Shah Mohammad Mahboob, Executive Member, BIDA, Mr. Syed Nasim Manzur, MD – Apex Footwear Ltd. and President, LFMEAB, including high officials from various ministries and regulatory bodies, distinguished guests from the international organizations, and renowned economists attended the roundtable. AmCham Vice President Mr. Eric Walker, Treasurer Mr. Al-Mamun M. Rashel and Executive Committee Members Mr. Md. Moinul Huq, Ms. Rubaba Dowla, and Mr. Mirza Shajib Raihan attended the dialogue event, along with several other AmCham members.
Business leaders present at the event agreed that while Bangladesh has made significant strides in improving its trade and investment climate, there is still room for further reforms. They stressed the need for enhanced coordination between the private and public sectors to address challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities, especially in sectors like technology, manufacturing, and infrastructure. Key discussion points included payment issues/compliance between the government and stakeholders, improvements in investment policy, return on investment, turnover tax, tax redemption at the source, the needs of the recycling industry, and creating a more favorable tax environment compared to virgin material imports.
Mr. Syed Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager of MasterCard Singapore Holding Pte. Ltd., moderated the discussion. In the end, Mr. Al-Mamun M. Rashel offered the vote of thanks. The AmCham Dialogue was supported by Chevron Bangladesh and VISA Worldwide Singapore Pte. Ltd., with LightCastle Partners serving as the knowledge partner.
