BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Monday laid emphasis on the necessity of democratization of the economy to ensure equal opportunities for every citizen.
“The existing economic model is fundamentally flawed because it has only worked for a section of the populace, failing to benefit the general public,” he said.
Amir Khasru made the remarks while speaking as the guest of honour at the "Economic Reform Summit 2025" at a hotel in Dhaka.
Voice for Reform, Brain, Fintech Society, Innovision and Nagorik Coalition organized the two-day summit.
In his speech, Amir Khasru Mahmud insisted that the economy must work for everyone, ensuring universal participation. “If national development occurs without the common people sharing in the benefits, the economic model is defective,” he opined.
To achieve this democratization, he outlined plans for shifting investment focus away from mere social safety net handouts to enabling economic participation.
He cited the "One Product, One Village" model seen in countries like Thailand, where villagers produce high-quality goods at home and sell them internationally online, generating vast economic activity.
The goal is to make the products of marginalized groups tradable both locally and internationally, he added.
Executive Editor of the Counterpoint, Jyoti Rahman and President of the CFA Society Bangladesh, Asif Khan, delivered the keynote presentations.
Business Initiatives Leading Development (Build) Chairperson Abul Kasem Khan, Chairman and CEO of Policy Exchange Dr Masrur Reaz, Adviser to BNP Acting Chairperson Mahdi Amin, Spokesperson of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in the United States Dr AS Nakibur Rahman, Joint Convenor of NCP Khaled Saifullah, Member of the General Economics Division of the Ministry of Planning Dr. Monzur Hossain, Vice- Chancellor of the Independent University of Bangladesh Prof M Tamim, BNP Chairperson's Special Advisory Committee on Foreign Affairs Israfil Khosru, Partner of the Snehasish Mahmud & Co Snehasish Barua and CEO Chaldal Waseem Alim joined the first session on "Essential Reform for Removing Investment Barriers" as panellists.
