Dhaka: The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has initiated the development of an "Economic Position Index (EPI)" to provide specific recommendations aimed at improving Bangladesh's economic landscape by revealing the true state of economic activities across the nation. This initiative was highlighted during a Focus Group Discussion titled 'Economic Position Index,' held at the DCCI auditorium in the capital.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed emphasized the gap in existing local and international indices, which do not adequately reflect the changing dynamics of economic activities. The EPI, initially focusing on Dhaka city, aims to expand nationwide and will provide quarterly insights into various economic metrics, including production, sales, order flow, export trends, employment, business confidence, and investment tendencies, particularly in the industrial sector. The initial index gathers data from sectors such as ready-made garments, textiles, wholesale and retail trade, real estate, transportation, storage, and banking.
Dr. A.K.M. Asaduzzaman Patwary, Acting Secretary General of DCCI, presented the keynote paper, revealing that the study was conducted between February and March 2025, interviewing 654 respondents from both the manufacturing and service sectors. The manufacturing sample included eight industries, while the services sector covered wholesale and retail trade, land transport, and real estate activities. The study found that the manufacturing sector contributes 56 percent to Dhaka's economy, while the service sector contributes 44 percent.
The discussion brought attention to several key areas for government prioritization, including improving law and order, ensuring uninterrupted energy supply, strengthening the financial sector, simplifying loan procedures, reducing interest rates, improving infrastructure and services, enhancing local supply chains, expanding export markets, reducing VAT on import-export goods, and simplifying the revenue process.
Former DCCI President Abul Kasem Khan highlighted the disparities in benefits across sectors, emphasizing the significant role of SMEs as employment sources and economic drivers, despite unsatisfactory development. He stressed the importance of comparative data analysis with competitor countries and suggested digitalizing trade license issuance to minimize time and harassment.
Md. Nurul Alam from the National Productivity Organisation stressed the importance of meticulous data collection for better policy formulation. Former DCCI President Ashraf Ahmed called for a stronger focus on statistical analysis, while Nesar Ahmed from the Support to Sustainable Graduation Project suggested refining the research questionnaire for accuracy.
Dr. Syed Muntasir Mamun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the need for foreign investor confidence and suggested including agriculture in the study. Dr. Saif Uddin Ahammad highlighted the need for coordination between DCCI data and other institutional datasets.
Bangladesh Bank's Nawshad Mustafa noted that while SME policies have been simplified, sharing specific data on loan access challenges could aid targeted measures. Dr. Md. Salim Al Mamun emphasized the inclusion of agricultural data in future research. Dr. Md. Aynul Islam and Dr. Md. Deen Islam recommended revising the research methodology and publishing findings in reputable journals.
Dr. Mohammad Jasim Uddin suggested revising the sampling method for detailed data inclusion, and Miah Rahmat Ali from the World Bank Group mentioned efforts towards introducing a new Insolvency Act to streamline business processes. The event was attended by DCCI Vice President Md. Salem Sulaiman, board members, and other stakeholders.