BNP Holds Meeting With Business Leaders

BNP held a meeting with prominent business leaders at the Chairperson's office in Gulshan today.

During the discussion, both sides addressed key challenges facing the business sector, particularly Bangladesh’s LDC graduation and proposed labor law amendments.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Chairperson’s Adviser S M Fazlul Haque attended the meeting.

From the business community, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, MCCI President Kamran Tanvirur Rahman, former MCCI Presidents Tapan Chowdhury and Nasim Manzur, former FBCCI President A K Azad, Pran Group Head Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, BKMEA President M A Hatem, BEF President Fazle Shameem Ehsan, BGMEA Secretary General Rashid Ahmed Hossainy, and DCCI President Tasneem Ahmed, among others, were present.

Highlighting the risks of moving ahead with LDC graduation now, Amir Khasru said, “The leading business figures driving Bangladesh’s economy have made it clear that this is not the right time. The economy is still recovering from major challenges, and rushing this transition could harm future trade and investment. The statistics used to justify graduation earlier are now questionable.”

He added, “If we want to secure Bangladesh’s future in trade, investment, and economic growth, we must consider postponing LDC graduation. We discussed the need for the interim government to communicate with the United Nations and request an assessment of Bangladesh’s readiness.”

On labor issues, Khasru noted that business leaders supported ratification but raised concerns about the practicality of some union-related provisions. “If decisions are rushed without proper consideration, it could send the wrong message at home and abroad, making recovery difficult,” he cautioned.

Echoing similar views, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said, “Our biggest concerns right now are deferring LDC graduation and addressing labor law amendments. Out of 124 proposed changes, we agreed on 122 points at the TCC. The two remaining issues have valid reasons for disagreement.”