“To overcome the criminalisation achieved over the past 16 years, policy diversion is essential. To achieve this diversion, we must be cognizant. We need to define our regulators clearly and adopt necessary policies,” Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Automobile Policy for Green Growth and Competitive Economy” jointly organised by the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) and Policy Exchange Bangladesh at the ERF Auditorium on Wednesday afternoon.
The commerce adviser said, “Bulk cargo, such as cement clinker, fertiliser, or food grains, amounting to nearly 100 million tons, arrives in our country. It has been stated in the seminar that logistics account for about 20% of our GDP. We must correlate this with our cash outflow.”
He added, “A significant portion of our cash outflow is spent in foreign currency. For example, the external freight we pay, the airfare we cover, and the port costs we bear—all of these are logistics expenses. Unfortunately, the logistics costs in our country are higher than those in developed nations. Currently, our country requires 41 billion ton-kilometres of logistics. By 2040, this will increase ninefold to 300 billion ton-kilometres.”
He further stated, “Agriculture, industry, and services are among the major regulators of our economy. The primary enabler for all these is logistics, along with utilities, gas, electricity, and labour productivity. If we integrate these, we see that our consumer goods or food market is worth $150 billion.”
“If we consider the historical context, places in our country with names ending in ‘ganj’—whether it’s Sirajganj, Munshiganj, or Narayanganj—were once the logistics hubs of our nation. I wonder if there is any other country in the world with over 200 rivers,” he added.
Sheikh Bashiruddin said, “Our country has a population of 170-180 million. We have no mineral resources but possess a demographic dividend. This vast population is highly vibrant and productive. If we utilise this by enhancing labor productivity through logistics capacity and workforce efficiency, a bright future awaits us.”
Mentioning that the budget reflects a manifestation of our policies, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said, “Although automobiles are a small part of it, they are a very important segment. At one time, under the guise of car production, entire bodies were imported from abroad, and after attaching four wheels, praise was sought. Now, sound policies must be formulated to overcome the discrepancies of the past 16 years.”
He made these remarks as the chief guest at the seminar held at the ERF Auditorium on Wednesday afternoon.
Special guest Abu Momtaz Sade Uddin Ahmed, chairman of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, also spoke at the seminar.
The keynote paper was presented by Mashrur Reaz, chairman of Policy Exchange Bangladesh. Panelists included Abdul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association; Anwar-Ul Alam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries; Motiur Rahman, chairman of Uttara Motors; and Rizwan Rahman, former president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Doulat Akter Mala, president of the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF), delivered the welcome speech, while ERF General Secretary Abul Kasem moderated the event.