Chittagong, officially Chattogram, is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also known as business capital of Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of an eponymous division and district. The city is located on the banks of the Karnaphuli River between the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Bay of Bengal. The Greater Chittagong Area had a population of more than 8.2 million in 2022. In 2020, the city area had a population of more than 5.2 million. The city is home to many large local businesses and plays an important role in the Bangladeshi economy.
Khulna is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of the Khulna District and the Khulna Division.It is the divisional centre of 10 districts of the division.Khulna is also the second largest port city of Bangladesh after Chittagong because of Port of Mongla.There is also a river port within the city named Port of Khulna.Khulna's economy is mainly marine,sea port and local industry based and it is the third-largest in Bangladesh,contributing $53 billion in gross regional domestic product and $95 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2020.
The jute trade is centered mainly around India's West Bengal and Assam, and Bangladesh. The major producing country of jute is India and biggest exporter is Bangladesh, due to their natural fertile soil. Production of jute by India and Bangladesh are respectively 1.968 million ton and 1.349 million metric ton. Bengal jute was exported to South East Asia from the 17th century by the Dutch, French and later by other Europeans.
The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) is an agency of the Government of Bangladesh and is administered under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister's Office. Its objective is to manage the various export processing zones in Bangladesh. BEPZA currently oversees the operations of eight export processing zones (EPZ). A ninth zone is scheduled to open in the future. Recently government has announced that in 15 years 100 new EPZ and SEZ will be established. Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, ndc, psc is the current Executive Chairman of BEPZA. The Government provides numerous incentives for investors for opening factories in EPZs. For example, new factories enjoy tax holidays for 5 years. Also, labour unions and other activities that are often viewed detrimental to productivity, are banned inside the EPZs. In order to stimulate rapid economic growth of the country, particularly through industrialization, the government has adopted an 'Open Door Policy' to attract foreign investment to Bangladesh. The BEPZA is the official organ of the government to promote, attract and facilitate foreign investment in the EPZs. Besides, BEPZA as the competent Authority performs inspection & supervision of the compliances of the enterprises related to social & environmental issues, safety & security at work place in order to maintain harmonious labour-management & industrial relations in EPZs. The primary objective of an EPZ is to provide special areas where potential investors would find a congenial investment climate free from cumbersome procedures. Bangladesh's export revenue in FY23 is $55.55 billion, the highest amount ever.
Robi Axiata PLC. is the second largest mobile network operator in Bangladesh. Axiata of Malaysia holds a major controlling stake of 61.82% in the company, while Bharti Airtel of India holds 28.18% and investors in DSE and CSE hold 10%. Robi first commenced operation in 1997 as Telekom Malaysia International (Bangladesh) with the brand name ‘AKTEL’. In 2010, the company was re-branded to ‘Robi’ and the company changed its name to Robi Axiata Limited. As per government rule, the name changed to Robi Axiata PLC in 2024 as Robi is listed in Stock Market and a Public Limited Company. Robi Axiata has spectrum on GSM 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz bands. On 16 November 2016, Airtel Bangladesh was merged into Robi as a product brand of Robi, where Robi Axiata PLC is the licensee of Airtel brand only in Bangladesh. Having successfully completed the merger process, Robi has emerged as the second largest mobile phone operator in Bangladesh.
Dutch-Bangla Bank PLC., one of the private commercial banks of Bangladesh, started its operation in Bangladesh as the first European joint venture bank. The bank was an effort by local shareholders spearheaded by Mr. M Sahabuddin Ahmed and the Dutch financial company FMO.
Sitakunda is an upazila in the Chattogram District of Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. It includes one urban settlement, the Sitakunda Town, and 10 unions. Sitakunda is the home of the country's first eco-park, as well as alternative energy projects, specifically wind energy and geothermal power.
Abul Kashem Khan was a Bangladeshi lawyer, industrialist and politician. In 1945, he founded A K Khan & Company, one of Pakistan's leading conglomerates until 1971, when it became one of Bangladesh's leading conglomerates. Khan served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. He was a federal minister of Pakistan and member in the Pakistan National Assembly.
A. M. Zahiruddin Khan was a Bangladeshi politician and industrialist. He served as a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Chittagong-6 constituency during 1979–1982.
Mustafizur Rahman Siddiqi was a Bangladeshi entrepreneur, politician and diplomat. He set up a number of manufacturing and finance businesses during the 1960s. He played a prominent role in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, organising resistance within Bangladesh and travelling to the U.S. to represent the Bangladesh Government in exile. He became Minister of Commerce and Foreign Trade in the newly formed state, and ambassador to the U.S. and Mexico.
Akij Group is a Bangladeshi industrial conglomerate founded by Sheikh Akijuddin in 1940. The industries under this conglomerate include textiles, tobacco, food and beverage, cement, ceramics, printing and packaging, pharmaceuticals, consumer products etc.
Bashundhara Group is a Bangladeshi conglomerate. It was incorporated in 1987 as a real estate company under the name East West Property Development Ltd (EWPD). It presently owns more than 50 major concerns throughout Bangladesh. The company's import-export turnover was $1.12 billion or BDT 111.38 billion in the 2022-23 fiscal year. In the 2018 fiscal year, the company's real estate holdings amounted to BDT 50,000 crores, or $4.6 billion.
The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority or BEZA is an agency of the government of Bangladesh tasked with developing special economic zones.
The Government agencies in Bangladesh are state controlled organizations that act independently to carry out the policies of the Government of Bangladesh. The Government Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions. Some of the work of the government is carried out through state enterprises or limited companies.
The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association or BTMA is the national trade body for textile mills, manufacturers, and mills in Bangladesh and is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It carries out research on the textile industry in Bangladesh. Showkat Aziz Russell, the Managing Director of Amber Denim Mills Limited, a concern of Partex Group is the President of the trade association.
ABM Abul Kashem was a Bangladesh Awami League politician and member of parliament for Chittagong-2 and Chittagong-4.
Narayanganj Club Limited is social club in Bangladesh. It was originally established as the European Club in Narayanganj during the period of British rule in India in 1893.
Abul Khair Group is a Bangladeshi diversified conglomerate based in Chittagong. Abul Kashem is the chairperson and Abul Hashem is the managing director of Abul Khair Group. Abu Syed Chowdhury is the deputy managing director and Shah Shafiqul Islam is the group director. All four are sons of Abul Khair.
The Majumder–Zia family, or simply the Zia family, is one of the two most prominent Bangladeshi political families, alongside the Sheikh family, which leads Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Members of the family include – Ziaur Rahman served as army chief and later President of Bangladesh and Khaleda Zia as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, while several others have been members of the parliament.
Mohammad Khaled Iqbal is a retired rear admiral of the Bangladesh Navy and former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University. He is the former chairman of Chittagong Port Authority.
