Khosru Calls for Deregulation and Digital Drive

BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has urged for investment and incentive opportunities in IT-based enterprises, emphasizing the need for “serious bureaucratic deregulation” in a sector he described as “heavily burdened by control.” He pledged that if his party assumes power, IT-driven export ventures would receive incentives similar to those enjoyed by the apparel industry.

Khasru outlined his vision to attract investments, create one crore (10 million) jobs within 18 months, strengthen the existing capital market while minimizing environmental damage, and transition initiatives from government-led to private sector-driven growth.

He presented these plans on Saturday, 18 October, at a business seminar held at the Renaissance Hotel on Gulshan Avenue. The event was organized by the Foundation for Strategic and Development Studies (FSDS) and presided over by its chairman, retired Major General Fazle Elahi Akbar. Distinguished discussants included Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Hossain Zillur Rahman, Professor Mahbub Ullah, Boby Hajjaj, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna.

In his address, Khasru called for investment in e-commerce and freelancing platforms to capture the “frontier to emerging market.” He stated, “Even Biman should go to the capital market. We must strengthen internet connectivity so that people can work from villages. Instead of building bridges, we must invest in this sector.”

He further said, “Investment must be channeled properly. We need to think about those willing to invest from abroad. Around two lakh freelancers are working in Bangladesh, and chipset design is already taking place here. There are about 1.5 lakh entrepreneurs engaged in IT-based businesses. They should be monetized and formalized. With proper financial and policy support, Bangladeshi-origin investors are eager to invest in their homeland. For that, deregulation is essential—they are waiting to invest for the country's sake.”

Bangladesh Bank Director Bayezid Sarkar presented the keynote paper at the roundtable, while Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s Special Assistant Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury attended the event as the chief guest.