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FBCCI Names Mahbubul Alam President
Mahbubul Alam has formally assumed the position of President at the helm of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the preeminent trade body of the nation. The seamless transfer of authority transpired on Monday as the preceding Board of Directors (2021-23), led by Md. Jashim Uddin, entrusted the responsibilities to the new board at the FBCCI Icon, as indicated in an official press statement.
Md. Amin Helaly, who was Vice President of the outgoing board and concurrently held the position of Vice President at the Bangladesh Textbook Printing and Marketing Association, has taken on the role of Senior Vice-President within the newly constituted board. Additionally, Khairul Huda Chopol, at the helm of the Sunamganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohammad Anwar Sadat Sarker, leading the Gazipur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Joshoda Jibon Deb Nath, heading the Bangladesh Chamber of Industry, have all assumed vice presidential duties within the chamber group.
From the association group, Shomi Kaiser, President of the E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh, Rashadul Hossain Chowdhury (Ronni), President of the Meiji Association of Bangladesh, and Md. Munir Hossain, President of the Exporters Association of Bangladesh, have assumed their respective roles as Vice Presidents.
The newly inducted President, Mahbubul Alam, has articulated his unwavering commitment to fortifying the country’s trade and commercial landscape in the imminent future. He has underlined the pivotal role of collective endeavors in driving private sector growth and has appealed for cohesive collaboration to attain this aspiration.
Alam has also outlined his intent to establish a branch office in Old Dhaka and has proposed the creation of a world trade center in Dhaka. Furthermore, he has outlined several imminent action plans of the fresh board, including the establishment of a 21-member advisory committee encompassing distinguished economists and chartered accountants, as well as the launch of a sophisticated web portal designed to unite all chamber associations under the FBCCI umbrella. In addition, the board is set to convene a standing committee meeting at least once every quarter.
Outgoing President Md. Jashim Uddin has spotlighted the past two years of dedicated efforts aimed at elevating FBCCI’s stature, highlighting the strategic policy measures that have propelled the business community and private sector towards advancement. He expresses confidence in the new board’s ability to sustain this momentum.
During the event, the new Senior Vice President of FBCCI, Md. Amin Helaly, and the outgoing Senior Vice President, Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, also shared their perspectives.
In the composition of the 2023-25 Board, a total of 80 directors have been elected, with an equal distribution of 40 each from the Chamber and Association groups. The office bearers selected from the Board of Directors comprise one president, one senior vice-president, and six vice-presidents.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
