Veteran businessman and Managing Director of Ha-Meem Group, AK Azad, has expressed deep concern over the current state of Bangladesh’s export sector, calling it the worst crisis he has seen in his 40-year career.
“We, the business community, have elevated this sector to a position of pride. But now, we are disheartened and frustrated,” said Azad.
He recounted a recent meeting with one of his major brand partners, where he was told that the partner’s head office had consulted its own government to assess the position of Bangladesh. “Their conclusion was that Bangladesh`s position is weak and that they don’t expect positive outcomes,” Azad said, visibly disappointed.
Disturbed by this feedback, Azad said he contacted several advisors within the government. “They responded with urgency,” he noted. According to him, the next day, the commerce adviser called back, saying the issue had stirred a commotion, and he was receiving calls from many quarters.
Azad stated that the adviser assured him that 95% of the issues had been resolved and efforts were underway with various ministries to address the remaining 5%. Azad emphasized the importance of this engagement, saying, “Even if the government loses two to three thousand crore in revenue, an additional $5 billion in exports would benefit the country overall.”
Highlighting the pressure from international buyers, Azad mentioned, “One of my clients wrote to me, saying that if new tariffs on Bangladesh are not removed by the 1st of the month, I will have to bear 35% of the duty. How am I supposed to handle that?”
He contrasted the situation with Indonesia, where the government and private sector are working closely, hiring lobbyists and engaging at all levels. “We’ve never had such opportunities here in Bangladesh,” he said.
Commenting on the interim government`s limited tenure, Azad questioned, “You say you’ll be in office for just seven or eight months—what happens to us after that? Who do we turn to?”
Azad criticized the over-reliance on a single figure of authority. “Everyone assumes that one person will fix everything with a wave of the hand. That’s why there’s no real assessment of the situation or plans to hire lobbyists.”
While the government has recently stated that the USTR (United States Trade Representative) won’t decide the tariff issue—that it will be up to the Trump administration—Azad urged, “If possible, try to intervene at that level.”
Though the government claims to have initiated the process of hiring lobbyists, Azad expressed skepticism: “We don’t know how effective that will be at this stage. Bangladesh is going through an unprecedented challenge.”
