Highlights
- Renata Managing Director Syed S Kaiser Kabir says Bangladeshi entrepreneurs are unfairly treated as “criminals.”
- Calls for official recognition and respect for the country’s business community.
- Urges the government to ease foreign investment rules to boost export earnings.
- Highlights shrinking profit margins in the pharmaceutical sector despite growing pressure to reduce prices.
- Emphasizes the need for diversification and global standard approvals to enhance Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical credibility.
Entrepreneurs Need Recognition, Not Criminalization
Bangladesh’s entrepreneurs are often labeled as “criminals,” and this mindset must change immediately, said Syed S Kaiser Kabir, Vice President of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) and Managing Director of Renata Limited.
Speaking at a roundtable titled “Export Diversification: Challenges and the Way Forward,” organized by Prothom Alo and supported by Pran-RFL Group, he stressed that the business community deserves dignity and recognition.
দেশের উদ্যোক্তাদের ক্রিমিনাল হিসেবে চিহ্নিত করা হয়, সেটি বাদ দিতে হবে। উদ্যোক্তাদের স্বীকৃতি দিতে হবে।’
Translation: “Entrepreneurs in our country are treated as criminals. This must stop. Entrepreneurs must be recognized for their contributions,” he said.
Investment Flexibility Needed to Boost Export Earnings
Kabir highlighted that to increase export earnings, Bangladesh needs to allow more financial flexibility, especially in outbound investments.
পণ্য রপ্তানি করে বাড়তি ডলার পেতে হলে ডলারকে বাইরে যেতে দিতে হবে। অর্থাৎ বিদেশে বিনিয়োগ সহজ করতে হবে।
Translation: “If we want to earn more dollars by exporting products, we need to allow dollars to flow out. Foreign investment must be made easier,” he noted.
He emphasized that restricting entrepreneurs from investing abroad limits their ability to scale and compete globally. Kabir strongly criticized the perception that pharmaceutical companies “overcharge” consumers. He explained that the profit margin in Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical sector has significantly declined.
Read more: Power Comes from Allah, Not Politics- Says Barrister Shahriar Kabir
‘স্বাস্থ্য মন্ত্রণালয় থেকে বলা হয়, বিনিয়োগ করবেন না; ওষুধের দাম কমান। ওষুধের দাম কম বললে মন্ত্রণালয় বলে, দাম আরও কমান; আপানারা চুষে খাচ্ছেন।
অথচ সময়ের ব্যবধানে ওষুধে নিট মুনাফা ১৫ শতাংশ থেকে কমে ৫ শতাংশ হয়েছে। দুনিয়ার মধ্যে ওষুধের দাম সবচেয়ে কম বাংলাদেশে। দয়া করে আমাদের রক্তচোষা বলবেন না। উদ্যোক্তাদের স্বীকৃতি দিন।’
Translation:“The Ministry of Health tells us not to invest and instead asks us to reduce medicine prices. When we say the prices are already low, the ministry asks for further reductions and claims that we are taking undue advantage.
Yet over time, the net profit margin in medicines has fallen from 15 percent to 5 percent. Bangladesh has the lowest medicine prices in the world. Please do not label us negatively. Give recognition to entrepreneurs.”
Pharma Diversification Is Essential for Global Credibility
Kabir also emphasized the importance of diversifying Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry to increase value addition and strengthen global trust.
‘ওষুধশিল্পের বৈচিত্র্যকরণ করা উচিত। কারণ, ওষুধে মূল্য সংযোজন অনেক বেশি। আমরা যদি ওষুধ রপ্তানির জন্য আমাদের কোম্পানিগুলো মার্কিন বাজারের সব অনুমোদন করে, তাহলে বাংলাদেশের পণ্যের বিশ্বাসযোগ্যতা বাড়বে। তখন পণ্যের মান নিয়ে কেউ প্রশ্ন করবে না। সে জন্য ওষুধশিল্পের উন্নয়নে জোর দিন।’
Translation:“The pharmaceutical sector must embrace diversification. The value addition here is very high. If our companies obtain all required approvals for the US market, the credibility of Bangladeshi products will rise.” Then no one will question the quality of our products. Therefore, the development of the pharmaceutical industry must be prioritized.”
Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry is one of the country’s most promising export sectors. However, entrepreneurs continue to face mistrust, regulatory pressure, and limited opportunities for global investment.
Kaiser Kabir’s observations highlight a simple yet vital message that to unlock the full potential of Bangladesh’s pharma industry, entrepreneurs must be empowered, respected, and given room to innovate and compete internationally.
Source: Prothom Alo
