Top business leaders meet Fakhrul, express 'concerns' in trade sector ahead of UNGA visit

They focus on two crucial issues, LDC graduation and labour law reforms, Khosru says

Top business leaders of Bangladesh have held a meeting with BNP senior leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir just before his visit to the United Nations General Assembly with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

The meeting, held on Sunday afternoon at the BNP chairperson’s office in Dhaka’s Gulshan, lasted for about an hour and a half.

The leaders raised concerns about multiple business sectors, focusing particularly on the country’s transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status and proposed amendments to labour laws.

Alongside the BNP secretary general, the party’s Standing Committee members Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and chairperson's advisory council member SM Fazlul Haque were in attendance.

The business leaders who attended the meeting included Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA); Kamran T Rahman, president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI); former presidents Tapan Chowdhury and Syed Nasim Manzur; former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) AK Azad; Pran Group chief Ahsan Khan Chowdhury among others.

Afterwards, Khosru said nearly all prominent figures from Bangladesh’s business community, including major entrepreneurs who drive the economy, were present.

"There are two main reasons behind their visit. One is our LDC graduation, and the other is the labour law issue. We need to be cautious about these matters to protect the future potential of Bangladesh’s trade, commerce, and investment," he said.