Page 10 - IBT Sept 2021 (1)

FROM

THE

EDITOR

This year marks the 50th year of independence for our country. To commemorate the
fast-paced progress Bangladesh has made, ICE Business Times, in its Anniversary issue,
deep dives into sectors and listens to industry experts on how far we have actually come.
Anis A. Khan, former Chairman of the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh Limited (ABB)
and former Managing Director and CEO, Mutual Trust Bank Limited (MTB) talks about the
growth of the country’s banking sector, the potential of mergers and the promise of digital
banking. Marketing as a tool for communication has undergone massive transformation in
the ongoing pandemic. From covert product placements to seeing social media influencers
taking up advertising space - we have Sara Zaker, Co-chairperson of Asiatic 3sixty sharing
her insight into the ever-changing mediums of advertising, and how digitization is opening
new avenues of exploration for content generation.
In 2020, ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB) conducted research which showed that 42 percent of
small enterprises lost 75 percent of their income. In another survey, jointly conducted by
the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB) showed that around
3.5 lakh garment workers in Bangladesh lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Women,
particularly young women workers, therefore should be reached by the government
stimulus package and social protection (social security) mechanism to enable them to
bounce back to a better life. Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh tells us
her thoughts on the development of women empowerment and climate action in
Bangladesh, and reiterates AAB’s ongoing effort to stand beside the women and youth of
the country. Amidst the darkest hours of rising death tolls every month during the ongoing
pandemic, the record-breaking remittance that our workforce has sent from abroad kept
the economy fortified. Adding his own treasure trove of knowledge, we have Dr
Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, Executive Director of Refugee and Migratory Movements
Research Unit (RMMRU) who elaborates on the role of the organization in supporting the
migrants and refugees over the years, the challenges and how migration can help us in our
pursuit to achieve our SDG goals.
On our cover we have the dynamic Rear Admiral M Shahjahan, Chairman of Chittagong
Port Authority, talking about his vision for the blue economy and how he plans on
harnessing the enormous potential of the country’s ports, and how he envisions shaping
the country’s blue economy into a prosperous contributor to our nation’s growth. Another
frontrunner contributing to the development of our nation is World Guinness Record
holder – Shah Cement Industries Limited’s very own Hafiz Sikander, the visionary Director
of Operations who illuminates the company’s pursuit for technological excellence and
building Bangladesh.
In the last 50 years, Bangladesh has witnessed many development activities. BRAC, the
world’s largest social enterprise is one such organization which has helped the country
achieve many milestones in alleviating poverty and facilitating education and women’s
health. Shameran Abed, Executive Director of BRAC International illuminates his strategies
for the organisation and how to mitigate the challenges of a post-COVID world.
With the ongoing mass vaccination campaigns, lockdown is lifted and schools have opened
their doors, welcoming back students. We hope together we will be able to fight this deadly
pandemic and keep building Bangladesh into the developed country we aspire for by the
year 2041.