Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has assured business leaders that the head office of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will not be shifted from Chattogram to Dhaka.
The assurance came during a meeting with the newly elected leaders of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the minister’s residence in the Mehedibagh area of the city on Friday evening.
Speaking to The TIMES of Bangladesh, newly elected Chamber President Mohammad Amirul Haque, chairman of Seacom Group, said I requested the minister not to relocate the BPC headquarters to Dhaka. We urged the finance minister not to move the BPC head office from Chattogram. He assured us that the headquarters will remain in Chattogram, and agreed with our proposal,” Amirul Haque said.
During the meeting, chamber leaders raised several issues related to trade and business in Chattogram, including trade facilitation at Chattogram Customs, port services and tariffs, overbridges, weirs, and other infrastructure concerns.
The finance minister also clarified his position regarding the weighing scale issue for goods transport in the Bora Darogarhat area on the Chattogram-Dhaka highway, saying Chattogram-based traders should not face discrimination.
The informal meeting lasted around one and a half hours and focused on trade facilitation and the challenges faced by the business community in Chattogram.
The meeting was attended by all 24 newly elected chamber directors, led by Chamber President Mohammad Amirul Haque. Leaders of the United Business Forum, including MA Salam and Syed Mohammed Tanvir, were also present.
Earlier, in the Chittagong Chamber election held on 23 May, all 24 directors from the panel led by Amirul Haque were elected. A new presidium was later formed on 25 May. Friday’s meeting marked the first official interaction between the new chamber leadership and the finance minister.
