The two-day International Business Conference (IBC) ended on November 1 with adoption of the ‘Dhaka Vision’ with the goal of making Bangladesh a mid-level income country in next 15 years.

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) organised the IBC on the occasion of its 50th founding anniversary at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC). Different business personalities from home and abroad, scholars, academics, industrialists and experts attended the programme to share their knowledge.

At the concluding session on “The Next Fifteen Years — The Way Forward”, DCCI President Hossain Khaled said important issues like the spillover impact of the ongoing global financial meltdown, climate change and its impact, global and regional economic development, human resources development, enhancing regional ties through developing businesses and the issues of WTO were discussed at the IBC.

Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, chairman of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), presented the keynote paper at the concluding session.

He said South Asia in particular is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which requires cooperation and coordination at an unprecedented level to ensure that common resources are protected and measures are undertaken efficiently to protect the people, property and ecosystem.

“Business and industry have a special roles in not only using their resources for adapting to the impacts of climate change but also adopting technologies and methods for bringing about structural changes which are part of a larger strategy for sustainable development,” Pachauri said.

He added universal practices and the patterns of economic development have led to cumulative pressures on the ecological systems of the panel.

“Perhaps the most serious of these is the threat embedded in human-induced climate change. The Fourth Assessment Report [AR4] of the IPCC has not only assessed the current changes in climate but also come up with projections for future as a result of which the impacts of climate change would affect different societies and regions adversely in the coming decades,” Pachauri said.

Admiring the achievements of Bangladesh since its independence he said the country has proved that it is not a bottomless basket.

He said in the rise of sea level for the global climatic change Bangladesh, part of Myanmar and West Bengal might be affected badly.

Mahbubur Rahman, president of International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICC-B), moderated the session where Mahfuz Anam, editor of The Daily Star, Annisul Huq, president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Patricia Francis, executive director of International Trade Centre (ITC), and Karthik Siva, head of Global Brand Forum, Singapore attended as the panel discussants.

As a panel discussant Mahfuz Anam said the government should invest a significant portion of national budget for development of science education to tackle the challenges in a scientific manner.

“Investing in science may be the remedy for tackling the future challenges in the way of development of this region. But investment in science dwindles,” he said.

Patricia Francis said adding value is an important factor for sustaining in the era of global financial recession. She said Bangladesh should invest more and more in human capital development.

Annisul Huq said the problem of gas and power must be met very soon if the country wants to be a mid-level income one within the next 15 years.

Karthik Siva said for future development of Asian region, the policymakers should put more emphasis on ideas rather than developing infrastructures.