'New industrial sectors need more focus for post-LDC era'

“If we want to continue our economic growth, we’ve to concentrate on new sectors in post-LDC (least developed countries) era beyond the conventional industries like garments, textiles, remittance and agriculture”, said AK Azad, former president of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) and also FBCCI.

He was addressing the installation function of the new executive committee of the BCI, the lone industry-based chamber of the country.     

The function was also addressed by newly-elected President Anwarul Alam Parvez, Senior Vice President Priti Chakrabarti, Chairman of BCI Election Board Abdul Haque and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Rizwan Rahman and Delwar Hossain Reza.

Mentioning that Bangladesh is hopeful of coming out of the LDC bracket this year, industry leaders said that as a leading chamber body the BCI has to play a supportive and pro-active role to help grow the micro and small industries across the country. 

They said BCI should be a common platform of all industrial sectors to discuss their problems, challenges and find solutions.   

They observed that the micro and small industries were the most affected sector by the Covid-19 pandemic.

They urged the new BCI leadership to play a vital role in different policy-making bodies of the government to pursue the cases of the Covid-affected industries to get support from the administration to overcome their problems. 

Anwarul Alam Parvez said that BCI will play a united role to recover the losses caused by the Covid-19 in the industrial sectors, especially the micro and small industries. 

He said the new BCI leaders will visit different districts and meet local chamber leaders to identify the main problems of the local industries to address those properly like it was done in Rangpur division. 

He said a strong communication will be built up with the local chamber and industry owners to support them in a coordinated way.