Commerce minister inaugurates ICCB’s new secretariat at Gulshan

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi yesterday inaugurated the National Committee Secretariat of International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICCB) – The World Business Organisation at Gulshan.

In his inaugural address, Munshi appreciated the role played by the business community in the overall development of the country and making Bangladesh the fastest growing economy in the world today, said a press release from the ICCB.

He expressed hope that the business community along with the public sector will continue to work to fulfill the vision of Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina to make Bangladesh a developed country by 2041.

He congratulated  ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman, members of the executive board as well as the members and patrons of the organisation for setting up a state-of-the-art secretariat and expressed his hope that in future they will play the same positive role for further development of the country.

The minister also launched ICCB Business Directory which contains basic information about Bangladesh, information for trade and investment and foreign direct investment. The first directory was published in 2008.

In his welcome address, ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman said ICCB started its journey at a small office located at premises of DCCI with 17 members. Today, ICCB has 10 chambers of commerce and business associations members under organisation category (FBCCI, DCCI, MCCI, CCCI, FICCI, BAB, BIA, BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMA) and 128 Members under Corporate Category (31 commercial banks, seven non-banking financial institutions, 10 insurance companies, five law firms, 56 national companies and 19 transnational companies).

Rahman said ICCB had so far organised seven international and regional conferences which were attended by heads of state, heads of governments, ministers, heads of international agencies, business leaders, professionals and experts from home and abroad.

The latest conference was held on 10-12 December, 2019. The President Abdul Hamid inaugurated the conference, he noted.

Mahbubur Rahman also said ICCB founding vice president late Latifur Rahman, AK Azad, Kutubuddin Ahmed, Anwar ul Alam Chowdhury (Parvez), Tapan Chowdhury, ASM Quasem and Md Fazlul Haque played the key role in mobilising the resources for buying new office premise.

ICCB Vice President AK Azad in his vote of thanks recalled the role played by founding ICCB Vice President Latifur Raman and recalled his guidance and continuous support to ICCB in carrying out various activities since the National Secretariat was set up in 1994.

He thanked the commerce minister for inaugurating the new secretariat and for his assurance of extending full support of his ministry to the business community. He also thanked the members and patrons for attending the inaugural ceremony.