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although it did not specify what form they would take or how they would differ from the council it had earlier announced.

The authority blamed the confusion on “misleading information circulating on social media”, without acknowledging that the source of that information was its own press release, which explicitly announced the council’s formation and named its members.

It offered no explanation for why the earlier claims were made, or what prompted the abrupt reversal within hours.

The backtracking is particularly notable as BIDA Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury had described the council in the original statement as “one of the key reforms proposed by BIDA”, suggesting a structured initiative rather than an informal engagement.

The nine business leaders present at Saturday’s meeting were initially described as council members personally selected by the prime minister. They are Arif Dowla, managing director of ACI; Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director of Apex Footwear; Hafizur Rahman Khan, chairman of Runner Group; Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman of PRAN-RFL Group; Ziaur Rahman, managing director of Bay Group; Abdul Muktadir, chairman of Incepta Group; Md Abdul Jabbar, managing director of DBL Group; Sohana Rouf Chowdhury, managing director of Rangs Group; and Syed Mohammad Tanvir, managing director of Pacific Jeans Group.