President
Mr. MAHBUBUR RAHMAN, President, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) – Bangladesh, The world business organization which was established in 1919 having its HQs in Paris, and presence in more than 130 countries with 45 million Corporate Members and over 1 billion workers worldwide.
Mr. Rahman is the Chairman & CEO of ETBL Holdings Limited (Estd. 1962) - a conglomerate of 4 (Four) wholly owned Business affiliates and stake holders of 4 (Four) PLCs. He is the Founder Chairman of Eastland Insurance Co. Ltd. (plc) (Estd. 1986), International Publications Limited (Publishers of The Financial Express – The National English Financial Daily, (1993) and Chairman, National Housing Finance & Investments Ltd.
Mr. Rahman is among the 150 high-impact leaders in business and social enterprise from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, who have been interviewed under the “Creating Emerging Market Project (CEMP)” at Harvard Business School (HBS) and included in the “Hall of Fame”. Mr. Rahman is the Founding Member and Former Chairman of Business Advisory Council (EBAC) of UN-ESCAP (United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific) during 2017-18.
He is a distinguished Arbitrator in Bangladesh for The China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) ; Co-Chair of the Steering Board of 2030 Water Resource Group of World Bank; Vice Chairman of Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI), Member of the Board of Governors of Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of the University of Dhaka, Founder Member of the Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) and a Director representing Haldor Topsoe of Denmark in the Board of Karnaphuli Fertilizer Co. Ltd. (KAFCO)- a multinational company comprising Bangladesh, Japan, Denmark & The Netherlands.
Mr. Rahman was the President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FBCCI) -- The Apex National Chamber of Bangladesh (1992-1994), The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) -- The premier Chamber of the country (1985-86 and 1991-92), Founder Vice President (1993-95) of 8-Nation SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Vice President (West Asia) of 57-nation Islamic Chamber of Commerce in 1993-95.During 1972-79, Mr. Rahman represented Government of Sri Lanka in Bangladesh before Colombo setup its Diplomatic Mission in Dhaka. He was a Sponsor Director and Chairman of National Bank Limited (plc), (Estd. 1983) Former Board Member of BIMAN-Bangladesh Airlines (National Carrier of Bangladesh), The Dhaka Stock Exchange Ltd. and Member of the Board of Governors of Bangladesh Open University (BOU). He was a Member of the Executive Board of ICC HQs. during 1997-99.
He attended 7 (Seven) WTO Ministerial Conferences as a member of the official delegation of the Govt. of Bangladesh.
Mr. Rahman was honoured and awarded as Presidential Friend of Indonesia in 2012 at its 67th Independence Day in Jakarta by the President His Excellency Mr. Susilo Bambang Yodyono of Indonesia.
He was awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, by the “DHL-The Daily Star” sponsored most prestigious ‘Bangladesh Business Award’.
Mr. Rahman has been honoured by The Daily Star as an Eminent Personality for Lifetime Contribution to Nation-Building, 2016.
He has been awarded FBCCI Business Excellence Award 2023 for his enormous contribution to the national economy, trade and commerce in international stage; at the Bangladesh Business Summit in Dhaka organized by FBCCI on its 50th Anniversary in 2023.
As ICC Chair, he has organized 7 (Seven) International Business & Economic Events in Dhaka attended by Heads of State / Governments as well as Multi-lateral Agencies & led many Trade & Investment Delegations to a number of overseas destinations, including Leading a few Business Delegations as entourages of the President / Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
