FBCCI president vows to work for SMEs

Md Jasim Uddin, newly elected president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI), has announced to work for the small and medium enterprises that are badly affected due to Covid-19.

His committee will work for all sectors of business, not just SMEs, he added. 

Jasim Uddin was elected uncontested as new president of FBCCI on Sunday. He will serve the country's apex trade body as the 23rd president for a term of 2021-23.

The new president said he will start work from where the committee of the outgoing president Sheikh Fazle Fahim has left the organisation.

Citing that it will be difficult to discharge duty because of the pandemic, Jasim Uddin said he has to face the challenges of coordinating between life and livelihood.

It will be easy to face the challenges if the traders try to unite, he also said. 

He said Bangladesh's graduation from LDC, implementation of SDG or implementation of the Centennial Delta Plan will benefit the traders. So, the businesses must help the government to meet these goals.

Earlier on 5 May, 78 businessmen were elected unopposed as FBCCI directors. Jasim Uddin was elected unopposed as the President of the apex trade body at that time. On Sunday, 78 directors elected a senior vice-president and six vice-presidents from among them.

According to the results announced on Sunday, Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu, former vice-president of FBCCI, former president of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) and former president of Rangpur Chamber, was elected senior vice-president.

MA Momen, former president of Dhaka Chamber, Habib Ullah Don, director of Exim Bank and former president of Barvida, and Amin Helali, a top entrepreneur in the printing industry, were elected as the three vice-presidents from the association group.

Aminul Haque Shamim, president of Mymensingh Chamber and vice-president of Road Transport Association and managing director of Royal Tulip Hotel, MA Razzak Khan Raj, chairman of Minister Hitech Park Limited and Salauddin Alamgir, chairman of Labib Group  were elected as the three directors from the chamber group.

According to the FBCCI, the election board on Sunday announced the preliminary results of the newly elected committee of the organisation. If any director is offended, he can appeal to the board. The results will be finalised on 12 May.
 
Outgoing president Sheikh Fazle Fahim said he would hand over the responsibility to the new committee as soon as possible. As the pandemic is going on now, the programme for handing over the responsibility to the new committee will be held online.