Business leaders on Saturday urged the government to give top priority to fuel and energy to implement the vision of Smart Bangladesh and enhance the production capacity in the country.
They made the call at the Business Conference on Building Smart Bangladesh organised by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended the programme as the chief guest.
While speaking at the event, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman said the government’s vision is to build Smart Bangladesh by 2041.
“To implement the plan, our production capacity has to be increased. If we want to increase the production capacity, the supply of electricity and gas must be ensured. So, the government should give priority to the power and energy sector.”
Mahbubur further said that there was no need to entrust judicial power to tax officials. “The income tax regulator should be reformed,” he added.
Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan said the business community suffered a lot during the caretaker government. So, businesses don’t want a caretaker government back.
“There is no alternative to Sheikh Hasina in the country. Businesspeople want a peaceful environment to do business here.”
Four crore people in the country have the ability to pay taxes, but only 30 lakh people pay taxes here, he said, adding that tax collection should be increased.
FBCCI president Md Jashim Uddin said the business and overall development are growing fast in the country. “Bangladesh is now a role model for poverty alleviation and growth. We are now heading towards Smart Bangladesh.”
“We are moving forward in every sector including agriculture, industry, and service. Smart technology is working like magic in agriculture. With the application of technology, big businessmen have started investing in this sector. Educated young men and women are also choosing agriculture as career.”
He added that Bangladesh ranks among top ten countries in production of 22 agricultural commodities, including rice, pulses and tea. All these have been possible due to the agriculture-friendly policies of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“There are about five crore youths in the country, and most of them are educated and becoming skilled in their fields. Bangladesh is the world's leading country in export of manpower. Besides, Bangladesh is second in the world in online outsourcing. Naturally, domestic and foreign investment is increasing in this region.”
He also said that despite ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and natural disasters, the country's economy is booming.
“The businesses suffered due to energy and dollar crises. The problems facing the businesses were mitigated due to Hasina’s leadership. We want to see you as the prime minister of Bangladesh again,” Jashim said.
Among others, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi and Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman attended the programme.
