Bangladesh has formed a 27-member national steering committee to coordinate policy and drive implementation of sector-specific plans for the creative economy, bringing together ministers, senior officials, business institutions, development organisations and creative-sector specialists.
The government issued a gazette notification dated 9 August forming the National Steering Committee on Creative Economy, with the finance and planning minister as chair.
The committee will approve sector-specific roadmaps for the creative economy and review their implementation progress quarterly.
It will also coordinate and provide direction on activities involving multiple ministries and agencies and review the work of different sector-based committees.
The committee includes the ministers for culture, industries, commerce, and housing and public works, along with the planning state minister.
Government advisers responsible for finance and planning, and posts, telecommunications and information technology and science and technology are also members.
The health special assistant to the prime minister, the policy and strategy adviser at the information and broadcasting and culture ministries, and secretaries from finance, information and broadcasting, youth and sports, culture, industries, civil aviation and tourism, women and children affairs, information and communication technology, and housing and public works are also on the committee.
The chairman of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation is a member, along with representatives of BRAC, HSBC Bangladesh, Bengal Foundation and Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology.
Entrepreneur, fashion designer and model Bibi Russell has been included as a sector specialist.
The gazette also provides for another sector specialist without naming the person.
The additional secretary for macroeconomics and TDM at the finance division will serve as member-secretary.
The committee can co-opt additional members when necessary and will meet as required, with the finance division providing secretarial support.
The notification takes immediate effect.
Quarterly reviews of sector-specific roadmaps will give the government a mechanism to track implementation and address coordination problems across ministries and agencies.
The committee’s broad membership also brings finance, trade, industry, technology, culture, tourism and private-sector perspectives into the policy process.
