Top business leaders suggested that the proposed Bangladesh Better Business Forum should have higher representation from the private sector and be allowed to operate as a high-powered regulatory reform commission.

President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mir Nasir Hossain said they had forwarded a set of proposals to the chief adviser’s office outlining the structure and authority of the proposed body.

‘We have suggested higher participation from the private sector in the proposed forum. We also want it to get a shape immediately, if possible, by November 15,’ he told reporters at his office on Wednesday.He declined to disclose the details of their proposals.

A high-profile meeting chaired by chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed on October 11 asked businessmen to put forward their opinions within 10 days on BBBF, aimed to improve business climate by persuading effective policies.

The meeting was attended by army chief General Moeen U Ahmed, finance adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam, law adviser Mainul Hosein, communications adviser MA Matin and top business leaders.

Nasir was assigned to gather inputs from businessmen and before finalising the set of proposals, he had a series of meetings during the past week with key association and chamber leaders.

Sources involved with the process informed New Age that businessmen felt that the central committee of the BBBF should not be too large and burdened unnecessarily with bureaucrats.

The government had primarily planned a 50-member central advisory committee with the chief adviser as its chairman and the finance adviser as executive chairman.

Businessmen, according to sources, suggested that the number should not exceed 36 and at least half of the members should be from the private sector.

They also suggested that a strong regulatory commission, under the BBBF, should work for modifying laws and regulations which are found hindering the business sector growth.

Nine working groups should be engaged to deal with different sectors including import, export, tax and finance, human resource development, and information and communication technology.

The chief adviser and the army chief, at a national convention of businessmen on September 5, mooted the idea of BBBF.