Prime Minister Tareq Rahman will hold his first formal meeting with top business leaders today, with the primary objective of discussing the country’s investment climate and the current challenges facing the industrial sector.
The meeting is scheduled to take place this Saturday (April 4) morning at the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to government sources, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir will be present at the meeting.
The Prime Minister’s Office stated that the meeting will cover the overall investment situation in the country, stagnation in the industrial sector, administrative complexities, and policy hurdles. Business leaders will directly present their problems, expectations, and potential areas to the Prime Minister.
Through this meeting, the nation’s first ‘Private Sector Advisory Council’ will officially commence its activities. It will serve as a structured dialogue platform between policymakers and business leaders.
Chaired by the Prime Minister, this council will include the Finance Minister and Commerce Minister, along with nine prominent entrepreneurs from the textile, pharmaceutical, footwear, automobile, and consumer goods sectors as members.
Stakeholders believe this meeting holds special significance as it is the Prime Minister’s first formal dialogue with the business community under the new government. It is expected to highlight the government’s priorities in creating an investment-friendly environment and provide direction for future policymaking.
It is noteworthy that the policy plan to form this council for the development of the business environment, drawing on international experience, was conceived during the interim government in early 2025. Although Chowdhury Ashiq Bin Harun, Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), mentioned this plan at an event last February, no further progress on the matter has been reported since then.