President calls on young people to pursue entrepreneurship

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday urged the country’s youth to take a more active role in business and entrepreneurship, particularly in emerging and creative sectors.

He made the call when a 21-member delegation of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), led by its President Taskeen Ahmed, met him at Bangabhaban for a courtesy visit, according to President’s Press Secretary Md Sarwar Alam, as reported by BSS.

During the meeting, the President also urged the business community to contribute to the rapid development of the country’s energy sector.

Emphasising greater youth participation in innovative fields, he said young entrepreneurs should play a stronger role in addressing challenges arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

Recalling the low-interest bank loans introduced during the tenure of late President Ziaur Rahman, Mirza Fakhrul Islam said such financing had helped promote industrialisation and foster new entrepreneurs in less-developed regions, including Rajshahi and northern Bangladesh.

He said the initiative had encouraged the establishment of new factories and businesses, describing it as a groundbreaking step. He also stressed the need to lower bank interest rates to facilitate the expansion of business and commerce.

The DCCI delegation invited the President to attend the upcoming Bangladesh AI Business Summit 2026. He accepted the invitation and assured the delegation of his participation.

The DCCI representatives said they were working to support Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s plan to build a $1 trillion economy by 2034. They expressed confidence that closer cooperation between the government and the business community could help address existing challenges and put the economy on a stronger footing within the next two years.

The delegation also briefed the President on various challenges, demands and opportunities facing the business sector.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam further called on business leaders to contribute to the institutionalisation of democracy, noting that people had repeatedly struggled and sacrificed their lives to establish democratic governance.

He said Bangladesh had failed to consolidate democracy after achieving it because political parties had at times misused its benefits. He also blamed a culture of corruption and looting for hindering economic progress and bringing business activity to a standstill in the past.

The President said personal greed and profiteering had also contributed to the deterioration of the country’s banking sector.

He urged the business community to play a greater role in social development and welfare initiatives.

The President’s Military Secretary, Secretary and Press Secretary, along with members of the DCCI delegation, were present at the meeting.