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Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman and CEO of Pran-RFL Group, said boosting exports must be a national priority. “There is no alternative. We must decide whether we want to remain import-dependent or become an export-driven economy,” he said.

He criticised rising demurrage charges, high air shipment costs, and urged direct shipping routes to major markets like the US. “If we can send goods directly from Chattogram to New York, we could alone export $1 billion worth of products,” he said.

Sk Bashir Uddin, adviser to the Ministry of Commerce, called for unified, practical reforms rather than blame-driven discussions. He pointed to weak institutions and regulatory problems as core challenges, warning that over Tk 1,00,000 crore in non-performing loans—over 30 percent of GDP—reflects poor financial governance.

He cautioned against blindly relying on Free Trade Agreements and criticised the sidelining of small entrepreneurs, calling it a form of “chronic capitalism.” On LDC graduation, he said solutions must be context-specific, noting Vietnam as a reference.

SECTOR-SPECIFIC INSIGHTS

Syed S Kaiser Kabir, managing director of Renata PLC, stressed the strategic importance of pharmaceuticals for exports, talent retention, and global credibility. He criticised the current policy environment as unfriendly to pharma entrepreneurs and called for supportive policies and relaxed foreign exchange rules to aid global expansion.

Mohammad Hasan Arif, vice chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), stressed diversifying products and destinations, noting that 44 percent of exports go to the EU and 18 percent to the US.

Nasir Khan, chairman of Jennys Group, pointed to bureaucratic red tape and bonded warehouse inefficiencies as major obstacles. “Over 30 licences and 190 documents are needed to operate—this alone drives away foreign investors,” he said.

Sayema Haque Bidisha, pro-vice chancellor of the University of Dhaka, said that many SMEs in food processing and agro-based sectors lack institutional support. She also stressed the need to enforce environmental compliance in the leather sector and improve branding for jute and pharmaceuticals.

Shamim Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the real export value of plastics exceeds $1.8 billion, far above the $300 million officially reported.

Md Shahjahan Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, said the sector could reach $3 billion within five years with proper support.

The discussion was moderated by Shawkat Hossain, head of online at Prothom Alo.