President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Bangladesh Mahbubur Rahman on Saturday said the country needs stability for sustained growth and prosperity to match with other countries of the region, reports BSS.

He said Bangladesh economy has experienced a mixed trend in 2006 due to political instability almost throughout the year. As a result, the economic indicators have showed a sign of slowdown during the last quarter of the year, he added.

The ICC president was presenting the report of the executive board at its annual council held at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) auditorium today. The ICC report has appreciated the initiatives of the present caretaker government for bringing back political stability in the country and reconstitution of the Election Commission and Anti- Corruption Commission.

Mahbubur Rahman observed that despite all odds, both export earnings and import growth have increased to 25.80 percent and 19.08 percent respectively at the end of the year. Besides, remittance from expatriate Bangladeshis has also showed 29 percent increase during the same time, he added. The ICC council hoped that the present government would expedite the process of removing infrastructural inadequacies including power shortage and ensure improvement of port operations.

Among others, ICC vice-president Latifur Rahman, executive board members ASM Quasem, Annisul Haq, M Aminuzzaman, M Shamsul Alam, Mahbub Jamil, Mamun Rashid, Masih-ul-Karim and Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan, and ICC Members Hossain Khaled, Rokyea A Rahman, Barrister Dr M Zahir, Barrister Rafique-ul-Huq, MCCI Secretary General C K Hyder attended the Council.