Zaved Akhtar new FICCI president

Zaved Akhtar, chairman and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh Limited, has been elected as the president of Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the tenure of 2024-2025. 

At the same time, Eric M Walker, managing director of Chevron Bangladesh, and Yasir Azman, chief executive officer of Grameenphone Limited, were elected as the senior vice president and vice president, respectively, reads a press release.

FICCI held its 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, (6 December) at the Westin Dhaka and announced the new Board of Directors of the chamber.

Zaved Akhtar will succeed Naser Ezaz Bijoy, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, who served FICCI as the president for the period of 2022-2023.

The newly elected 15 members of the Board of Directors will take charge on 1 January, after the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent board on 31 December, the chamber said in a press release today.

In his speech Zaved Akhtar, President-Elect FICCI said, "It is with great honour and a sense of profound responsibility that I accept the role of the President of FICCI, a chamber that has been fundamental in sculpting the economic fabric of our nation. Since its inception, FICCI has been a driving force in transforming Bangladesh into a beacon of investment—bringing in 90% of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and fostering a business-friendly ecosystem that has been instrumental in the growth journey of the country."

"I would like to thank my predecessor Nasir Ezaz Bijoy for his steadfast leadership in driving FICCI's success for the past two years, and I am looking forward to working closely with the dedicated FICCI Board of Directors and the distinguished representatives from our member companies to take FICCI to newer heights. Together, we will not only uphold the chamber's illustrious legacy but also amplify its impact, and work towards the nation's vision of evolving into a smart and advanced economy by 2041," he added.

Chamber's current President Naser Ezaz Bijoy expressed his gratitude to FICCI Board of Directors for their enormous support throughout his journey with FICCI as the President. He said, "with my wholehearted appreciation, I recognize the members of FICCI who have trusted me with the leadership of this dynamic institution. Along with the wonderful Board of Directors, we were able to achieve different milestones in the last two years. Moreover, 2022-2023 was a very significant year for us since our chamber completed its 60th year of glorious journey. We celebrated this milestone moment with a grand celebration."

"I Congratulate the newly elected President, Senior Vice-president, Vice President, and the Board of Directors. I am confident that the new Board will continue the advocacy to build more strong partnerships and collaborations with the government and other stakeholders to align with the Vision 2041 to build a "Smart Bangladesh." I wish them to achieve great accomplishment in the coming days," he added. 

Members of FICCI outgoing and newly elected Board of Directors, representatives of FICCI member companies were present at the AGM.