Businesses discuss dollar crisis, law and order situation with US delegation
They stressed the need for increased government communication with the business community to restore normalcy
US-based business leaders in Bangladesh expressed concerns about the prevailing law and order situation, dollar crisis and ongoing industrial unrest in the country during a meeting with a visiting US delegation, reports Prothom Alo.
At the meeting, they stressed the need for increased government communication with the business community to restore normalcy.
The delegation, led by Brent Neiman, assistant secretary for International Finance at the US Department of the Treasury, met with the business leaders at the US ambassador's residence in Dhaka on Saturday (14 September) morning.
During the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, they discussed Bangladesh's economic situation, investment climate, banking and financial sector, law and order, and the issue of dividends and government dues owed by US businesses operating in the country.
Heads of various organisations in Bangladesh, including representatives from US companies such as Chevron, MetLife, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Citibank NA, Mastercard, and General Electric (GE), attended the meeting. The delegation also included Helen Lafave, charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in Dhaka.
Syed Ershad Ahmed, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) and managing director of Expeditors Bangladesh, told Prothom Alo that the US delegation was primarily interested in understanding the business environment in Bangladesh.
"They inquired about the challenges of conducting business in the country, the steps needed to address these challenges, and whether the situation has improved given the evolving circumstances," he said.