Rupali Haque Chowdhury elected FICCI president

Rupali Haque Chowdhury, managing director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd, has been elected president of the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the 2026-27 term.

Alongside her, Deepal Abeywickrema, chairman and managing director of Nestlé Bangladesh PLC, has been elected senior vice-president, while Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhury, chief executive officer of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh PLC, has been elected vice-president, reads a press release.

The announcements were made at FICCI's 62nd Annual General Meeting, held today (7 December) at Le Méridien Dhaka, where the chamber also declared its newly elected Board of Directors for the upcoming term.

Rupali Haque Chowdhury will succeed Zaved Akhtar, chairman of Unilever Bangladesh Ltd, who served as FICCI president for 2024-25. The newly elected 15-member board will assume charge on 1 January 2026, following the conclusion of the current board's tenure on 31 December 2025.

In her remarks, the president-elect stated: "I am deeply honoured to be elected President of FICCI and sincerely grateful for the trust placed in me by our member companies. FICCI has long been a cornerstone of Bangladesh's investment landscape, and I am committed to advancing the chamber's mission of strengthening foreign investment and supporting the country's economic transformation."

She expressed her appreciation for her predecessor, adding: "I extend my sincere thanks to Zaved Akhtar for his steadfast leadership over the past two years. As we enter a new chapter, I look forward to working closely with the Board of Directors, our esteemed members, and key stakeholders to drive meaningful reforms, promote a competitive business environment, and contribute to Bangladesh's journey towards becoming a future-ready, inclusive, and globally competitive economy."

Outgoing President Zaved Akhtar thanked the board and members for their support, stating: "It has been a privilege to serve as President of FICCI over the past two years. Together, we navigated a time of significant economic and political transition while advancing key initiatives to strengthen the investment climate and foreign investor confidence."

He congratulated the new leadership, noting: "This AGM is not just the closing of a year; it is a celebration of FICCI's legacy of vision, resilience, and partnership in shaping Bangladesh's future."

Members of the outgoing and newly elected boards, along with representatives from FICCI member companies, attended the AGM.

FICCI, the apex chamber of multinational companies, has been working as the development frontier of Bangladesh by creating significant footprints in economic growth since its journey started in 1963.

As a leading chamber, FICCI represents foreign investors from 35 countries across the globe in 21 sectors in Bangladesh. In its six decades of excellent journey, around 210 member companies of this chamber are contributing around 30% internal revenue of the government and representing more than 90% inward FDI in Bangladesh.