Khasru promises 'serious deregulation' to empower private sector if BNP voted to power
In his speech, Amir Khasru Mahmud insisted that the economy must work for everyone, ensuring universal participation.
If BNP is voted to power, it will pursue "serious deregulation" and empower the private sector to drive Bangladesh's economy toward inclusive growth, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said today (27 October).
Speaking as the chief guest at the Economic Reform Summit 2025 held at a city hotel in Dhaka, Khasru criticised excessive bureaucratic control over businesses and said regulatory authority should be transferred from government offices to trade associations to facilitate self-regulation.
Deregulation refers to reducing government interference and red tape in business operations, giving companies more freedom to operate independently.
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Khasru, also a former commerce minister, called on trade bodies and private entrepreneurs to prepare for the shift, saying BNP's upcoming economic model will be more private sector driven and less bureaucratic.
He said tax policymaking must move beyond bureaucracy and be based on a real understanding of how businesses operate.
"How they earn, how they spend, what challenges they face, and where their surplus income goes? Whether that income is being productively reinvested or wasted, these are things the policymakers at NBR must consider. It cannot just be a bureaucratic exercise," he added.
The BNP leader also called for restoring the independence of Bangladesh Bank and ending political appointments in financial institutions. "Bangladesh Bank must be independent, not just autonomous," he said.
Khasru claimed that during BNP's tenure, "There was no bank loot or stock market manipulation," attributing it to the absence of political interference in the central bank and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
On the social front, he said BNP's economic vision will focus on job creation across diverse sectors.
"Sports is also an economy," he added, announcing plans to build gender-inclusive sports complexes in rural areas to nurture youth talent and generate employment.
"We can move from a frontier market to an emerging market. We have the plan, and we can do that," he further added.
