IP rights enforcement key to higher investment

Bangladesh cannot significantly expand exports or attract foreign direct investment without proper enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), said Syed Ershad Ahmed, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham).

"Effective enforcement of IPRs would bring greater transparency to business… while corruption cannot be completely eliminated, it can be reduced to a manageable and tolerable level, and efforts are underway to achieve that," he said while speaking to journalists yesterday at an event organised by AmCham at the Sheraton Dhaka in Banani.

Ahmed said sustained advocacy has helped push the government from a limited trade office structure toward establishing IPR laws and an industry-focused institutional framework.

AmCham president pointed to the growing number of educated but unemployed young people, saying job creation should be the top priority of the next government

He added that logistics, once a neglected sector, has now become central to discussions on competitiveness and investment.

"AmCham is working across several sectors, including logistics, IPRs, digital financing, energy, and agriculture, with logistics set to become a key priority in the coming period. We want to develop the overall ecosystem in Bangladesh. If we can develop the overall business ecosystem, overall investment in Bangladesh will increase," he said.

On employment, Ahmed pointed to the growing number of educated but unemployed young people, saying job creation should be the top priority of the next government.

He cautioned that while entrepreneurship is often encouraged, it requires significant capital, and large-scale job creation is more realistically driven by higher investment and export growth.

Discussing the investment climate, Ahmed said policy unpredictability remains a major concern for investors. Although AmCham has submitted detailed, sector-wise recommendations to key ministries through its Research and Advocacy Cell, he said meaningful follow-through has been limited.

"Investors need policy stability and predictability, which are usually supported by a free and fair election and a stable political environment," Ahmed said.

He also highlighted ongoing barriers to foreign direct investment, including corruption, energy shortages, and weak legal and physical infrastructure.

He said wider use of digital systems and stronger IPR enforcement could improve transparency and help reduce corruption. While acknowledging progress in areas such as fully online income tax filing, he said much more needs to be done to create a world-class investment environment.

Ahmed also underscored the importance of national branding, noting that global investors are familiar with countries such as India, Vietnam, and the Philippines, while Bangladesh remains relatively underrepresented.

On women's empowerment, he said female students are performing strongly in higher education but continue to face social and cultural barriers to entering the workforce. "True empowerment requires a change in mindset at both family and societal levels," he said.

Referring to technological development, Ahmed said the IT sector has raised concerns about high taxes and the limited availability of graphics processing unit (GPU) servers needed for artificial intelligence development. These constraints weaken Bangladesh's ability to compete in global technology markets, he added.

AmCham treasurer Al Mamun M Rashel said there is a gap between policy announcements, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, and actual implementation.

He added that import barriers for high-end technologies are further constraining sector growth and called for more specific and actionable reporting to help the government better address these challenges.