Multinational Companies

BASF Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Sujan Kumar Saha
Managing Director

Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Ms. Rupali Chowdhury
Managing Director

Berger Paints is one of the oldest names in the paint industry, yet, it is one of the most technologically advanced companies in the country. It is constantly striving for innovating superior quality products and services. With more than 250 years of rich heritage, Berger manufactures world class paints for all kinds of substrates and also provides unparallel services. 

Berger’s inception was laid out in 1760 by a German national named Louis Berger, who started dye and pigment making business in England. Louis involved his family into the business and eventually changed the status of the company to Louis Berger & Sons Limited. The company grew and expanded rapidly with a strong reputation for excellence in innovation and entrepreneurship. In the initial years, Louis successfully refined the process of manufacturing Prussian blue, a deep blue dye. This dye was widely used for the uniforms of many European armies of that time. Production of dyes and pigments evolved into production of paints and coatings, which till today, remains the core business of Berger. The company grew rapidly, by establishing branches all over the world and through mergers and acquisitions with other leading paint and coating manufacturing companies. 

Berger Paints started ‘painting’ Bangladesh since independence. Over the past few decades, Berger has evolved and transformed itself in becoming the leading paint solution provider in the country with a diversified product range that caters to all your painting needs. 

Berger has heavily invested in technology and Research & Development (R&D) compared to any other manufacturer in this market. Investment in technology and plant capacity is even more evident from the establishment of Powder Coating and Emulsion plants at the Dhaka factory. The state-of-the-art Dhaka factory is an addition to Berger’s capacity, making it the paint giant in Bangladesh. It sources raw materials from some of the best known names in the world. The superior quality of Berger’s products has been possible because of its advanced plants and strict quality controls that match international standards. 

With its strong distribution network, Berger has reached almost every corner of Bangladesh. Nationwide Dealer Network, supported by 8 Sales Depots strategically located at Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Bogra, Sylhet ,Comilla and Mymensingh has an unmatched capability to answer to paint needs at almost anywhere in Bangladesh. 

Berger’s one of the prime objectives is to provide best customer support-connecting consumers to technology through specialized services like free technical advice on surface preparation, color consultancy, special color schemes etc. To bolster customer satisfaction, Berger offers Home Decor Service from where one can get an array of services pertaining to painting. 

The product range includes specialized outdoor paints to protect against adverse weather conditions, ColorBank, Superior Marine Paints, Textured Coatings, Heat Resistant Paints, Roofing Compounds, Epoxies and Powder Coatings. In each of these product categories, Berger has been the pioneer. Besides, Berger offers illusions-the first designer paint solution in Bangladesh. The company also launched Power Bond adhesive, lnnova Wood Coating in collaboration with Sherwin-Williams, Vehicle Refinish in collaboration with world renowned PPG-USA, Texbond binder to cater to the growing needs of the customers. 

Apart from business, Berger Paints has added another dimension to its social responsibilities by contributing to the well being of the autistic children in Bangladesh from 2009. Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited has been promoting the young and creative talents of the country through Berger Young Painters’ Art Competition (BYPAC), Berger Award for Excellence in Architecture (BAEA), Berger Award Programme for the Students of Architecture of BUET (BASAB), Scholarship Programme for the students of Architecture Discipline, Khulna University. 

British American Tobacco Bangladesh Co. Ltd.

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Shezad Munim
Managing Director

Bureau Veritas (BIVAC) Bangladesh Ltd.

Company Profile

Represented By

Dr. A. Qayyum Khan
Managing Director

DHL Worldwide Express (Bangladesh) Pvt. Ltd

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Md. Miarul Haque
Country Manager

DHL was founded in 1969 to deliver documents between San Francisco and Honolulu. The company expanded its service throughout the world by the late 1970s. Air Express Services of DHL was established in Bangladesh on 10th May. This was on request ofStandard Chartered Bank Singapore (SCB – 1st Customer in BD). Mr. Henry Jacobwas 1st Country General Manager. DHL Express in Bangladesh started its office through its Agent Homebound Packers & Shippers Limited in only one room in Gulshan, Dhaka within Homebound office premises. DHL started its operation with only 5 staffs, only one baby taxi and one delivery van.
 

Since it’s starting DHL expanded its operation in Bangladesh to help local business grow globally. The timely launch of different product and services has helped to fulfill the needs of local enterprises. DHL is the first company to have Air Side ExpressHandling Unit at Airport in 1994. It was extended, modernized at the international standard in next phases later. The launch of two innovative packaging solutions DHL ‘Jumbo’ and ‘Jumbo Junior’ helped thousands of enterprises grow their business globally.

DHL pioneered door to door import service understanding the growing demand of the RMG sector in 2001. Standing at 2013, DHL offers different service and product for both outbound and inbound to cater different needs of the customers. DHL develops its capability to provide sector specific solutions for its customers.

DHL is the first to introduce frontline customer service in the industry in 1997. Now DHL has the most advanced state of the Art customer service department in the country.

Desmond Quiah took over the position of Country Manager for the 2nd time. (His 1st tenure in DHLB was 1991 – 1997) in 2000. Under his abled leadership, DHL started to grow aligning with the requirement of 21st century. The installation of modernQuality Control Center (2006), custom built shipment processing facility (2007), introduction of six sigma based efficiency program “First Choice” (2008), launching ofCertified International Specialist (2011); a globally award winning training program for the all employees of DP DHL, have accelerated the path towards a greatness for DHL. DHL expanded its retail network with 25 service points nationally which is the highest among the players.

DHL and The Daily Star jointly launched “Bangladesh Business Award” on 6th November, which was the first award of its kind in Bangladesh to recognize the business laurels of the country. This award has recognized 50 business persons and institutions in last 13 years.

DHL always believes that giving back to society is a responsibility. DHL involves in different CSR activities as part of its global campaign “Living Responsibly”. DHL volunteers extended their effort in the programs like afforestation, education for underprivileged and blind children, pure water supply for schools in different times.

DHL creates a unique bridge between Bangladesh and the world. Currently DHL Express Bangladesh connects Bangladesh to more than 220 countries and territories worldwide with its average weekly 120 commercial flights. There are 49 vehicles running from 5 stations to serve our customers need timely. A team of 450+ dedicated employees are ensuring world class service in Bangladesh. DHL Express-Excellence. Simply Delivered.

Duncan Brothers (Bangladesh) Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Imran Ahmed
Managing Director

Duncan Brothers is a Camellia Plc group company, which in addition to Bangladesh has investments in the UK, India, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Switzerland, the US, the Netherlands and Bermuda. The investments are diversified, however agriculture and horticulture is Camellia’s core business. Camellia produces nearly 80 million kgs of tea which makes it one of the world’s largest and the most geographically diversified producers of tea in the private sector.
 

“Camellia sinensis”, the tea plant, is of major commercial importance as tea is made from its leaves. It is an exquisite name, for a remarkable gift of nature, both in terms of aesthetic beauty and the multiple benefits derived from the bush. The name in essence also reflects the Group’s philosophy and objectives where humane considerations are equally important as its business. This is what makes the Group unique with a long history of 150 years in the subcontinent. The primary and overall strategic direction of the Group has always been to be an asset based agricultural company with a focus on the long term.

Expeditors (Bangladesh) Ltd.

Company Profile

Represented By

Syed Ershad Ahmed
CM & Managing Director

Expeditors is a global logistics company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. As a Fortune 500 company, we employ over 14,600 trained professionals in a worldwide network of over 250 locations across six continents. Expeditors satisfies the increasingly sophisticated needs of international trade through customized solutions and seamless, integrated information systems. Our services include the consolidation and forwarding of air or ocean freight, customs brokerage, vendor consolidation, cargo insurance, time-definite transportation, order management, warehousing, distribution and customized logistics solutions.

At Expeditors, we pride ourselves on being a solutions-based organization and take time to understand each customer’s individual business needs. As a non-asset based organization, we have considerable flexibility when managing customers’ supply chains. Due to our relationships with local suppliers and global air and ocean partners, we can provide customers with the best routing and pricing options. Our comprehensive, flexible spectrum of services is supported by leading-edge information technology that provides a high level of visibility from end to end.

To maintain consistent quality and customer service across the globe, Expeditors has regional headquarters located in London, Dubai, Shanghai and Singapore.

At Expeditors, our industry professionals, award winning processes and globally unified systems ensure that we always live up to our promise, “You’d be surprised how far we’ll go for you.”

GE International Inc Bangladesh

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Srinath Venkatesh
Country Manager

GrameenPhone Ltd

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Michael Foley
Chief Executive Officer

In the fast-paced world of telecommunications, vibrant and dynamic Corporate Governance practices are an essential ingredient to success. Grameenphone believes in the continued improvement of corporate governance. This in turn has led the Company to commit considerable resources and implement internationally accepted Corporate Standards in its day-to-day operations.

Being a public limited company, the Board of Directors of Grameenphone have a pivotal role to play in meeting all stakeholders’ interests. The Board of Directors and the Management Team of Grameenphone are committed to maintaining effective Corporate Governance through a culture of accountability, transparency, well-understood policies and procedures. The Board of Directors and the Management Team also persevere to maintain compliance of all laws of Bangladesh and all internally documented regulations, policies and procedures.

Grameenphone is a truly transparent company that operates at the highest levels of integrity and accountability on a global standard.

Lafarge Surma Cement Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Neeraj Akhoury
Chief Executive Officer

Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. is a joint venture of Lafarge, a world leader in building materials and Cementos Molins, a Spanish Company with strong global presence. Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. was incorporated on 11th November 1997 as a private limited company in Bangladesh under the Companies Act 1994. Subsequently, on 20th January 2003, Lafarge Surma Cement was made into a public limited company. The Company is listed in Dhaka and Chittagong Stock Exchanges and has 35,000 shareholders.

The plant of Lafarge Surma Cement, which is located in Chhatak Sunamganj is the only fully integrated dry process cement plant in Bangladesh where high premium quality clinker (a semi finished product needed to produce cement) and cement are produced utilizing sophisticated and state-of-the-art machineries and processes. The Company’s ability to produce its own clinker under its strict quality supervision and the presence of an international standard Quality Control and Monitoring Lab ensures the same consistent premium quality in each and every bag.

Lafarge Surma Cement sources its primary raw material limestone from its own quarry in Meghalaya, India, which has one of the best quality limestone deposits in the world. This limestone is brought to the Plant using a 17 km long conveyer belt. In November 2000, the two Governments of India and Bangladesh signed a historic agreement through exchange of letters in order to support this unique cross border commercial venture, and till date it is the only cross border industrial venture between the two countries. As Bangladesh does not have any commercial deposit of limestone (the main raw materials for producing clinker), the agreement provides for uninterrupted supply of limestone to the cement plant from the quarry. Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. wholly owns a subsidiary company Lafarge Umiam Mining Private Ltd. (LUMPL), which is registered in India and operates the quarry in Meghalaya.

By supplying clinker to other cement producers in the market and through import substitution of clinker, Lafarge Surma Cement helps the country save USD 65-70 million worth of foreign currency per year. The Company also contributes around BDT 1 (one) billion per annum as government revenue to the national exchequer of Bangladesh. About 5,000 people depend on our business directly or indirectly for their livelihood. Apart from these, the Company also contributes to the sustainable development of the society, economy and environment though its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in the area of education, health, employment generation, infrastructure development and environmental management.

This commercial venture, with an investment of USD 280 million is one of the largest foreign investments in Bangladesh. It has been financed by Lafarge, S.A., Cementos Molins, S.A., a number of leading Bangladeshi business houses together with International Finance Corporation (IFC), The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), German Development Bank (DEG), European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO).

Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, employing 64,000 people in 62 countries. As a top-ranking player in its Cement, Aggregates and Concrete businesses, it contributes to the construction of cities around the world, through its innovative solutions providing them with more housing and making them more compact, more durable, more beautiful, and better connected. With the world’s leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities in order to contribute to more sustainable construction and to better serve architectural creativity. Cementos Molins is a family owned Spanish Company with more than 80 years of experience. Apart from its operation in Spain, it has operations in Bangladesh, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, and Tunisia, controlling 16 million tons of cement.

Lafarge Surma Cement will continue to strive to come up with range of products and solutions that will convert architectural dreams into realities and provide the building blocks for a modern and beautiful country.

Li & Fung Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Rahul Dhand
Vice President–Operation Support Group

Linde Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Mohsin Ahmed
Managing Director

The Linde Group is a world leading supplier of industrial, process and speciality gases and is one of the most profitable engineering companies. Linde products and services can be found in nearly every industry, in more than 100 countries. A success story that began with the separation of air.

LSI Industries Ltd

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Rachel Wu
Managing Director

Nestle Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Deepal Abeywickrema
Managing Director

Nestle is the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company. We enhance lives with science-based nutrition and health solutions for all stages of life, helping consumers care for themselves and their families.

Puls Trading Far East Ltd

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Roger Rene Hubert
Country Manager Production & Chief Representative

Robi Axiata Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Sharif Shah Jamal Raz
Vice President-Corporate Affairs

Robi, the most dynamic and rapidly-growing telecommunications operator in Bangladesh, is developing its services to meet increasing customer needs – ranging from voice and high speed Internet services to tailor-made telecommunications solutions. Robi is a joint venture company between Axiata Group Berhad of Malaysia and NTT DoCoMo Inc. of Japan. It commenced operation in 1997 as Telekom Malaysia International (Bangladesh) with the brand name ‘Aktel’. In 2010 the company was rebranded to ‘Robi’ and the company changed its name to Robi Axiata Limited.

Robi draws from the international expertise of Axiata and NTT DoCoMo Inc. Services support 2G and 3.5G voice, CAMEL Phase II & III and 3.5G Data/GPRS/EDGE service with high speed internet connectivity. Its GSM service is based on a robust network architecture and cutting edge technology. The company has the widest International Roaming coverage in Bangladesh connecting 600 operators across more than 200 countries. Robi’s customer centric solution includes value added services (VAS), quality customer care, digital network security and flexible tariffs.

Since its inception in 1996, Axiata Group and its predecessor Telekom Malaysia has invested around BDT 11,000 crore in the form of equity till 2012. Moreover the company has contributed almost BDT 10,000 crore to the Bangladesh Exchequer in the same period.

As a subsidiary of Axiata Berhad Malaysia , Robi draws on leading edge technology to provide its service in Bangladesh, covering almost 100% of the population, Robi is committed to provide best data and voice quality and will continue to ensure that its customers are able to enjoy the best experience through leading edge technology and innovative products and services.

Siemens Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Prabal Bose
Managing Director

Singer Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. M.H.M. Fairoz
Managing Director and CEO

SINGER BANGLADESH HISTORY
 
The presence of SINGER in Bangladesh dates back to the British colonial era when the country was a part of the Indian sub continent. The first operation of Singer began in 1905. Later, in 1920, two shops were set up in Dhaka and Chittagong.
After the partition of the sub-continent in 1947, two separate states emerged. Bangladesh became a part of Pakistan and formed its eastern wing. SINGER in East Pakistan operated as a branch of SINGER Pakistan and the products used to come from Western Pakistan. At the initial stage, marketing operation was carried out through only 10 shops, which increased to 43 by the late 1960s.
After the emergence of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971, the East Pakistan Branch Office was elevated to a country Office and the Sewing Machines were made available from different Snger overseas sources. The number of shops was squeezed to only 23 because of low volume of busines.

A change in the investment policy in 1979 created new business opportunities and SINGER registered as an operating company, with 80% of the share held by SINGER Sewing Machine Company (SSMC), USA, and 20% by local shareholders.

In 1983 the company was listed with Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and offered 20% of its total capitalization- 2,565 ordinary shares of Taka 100 each. In 2001, it was also listed with the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE).

PRODUCT DIVERSIFICATION

Since its inception in Bangladesh, the name SINGER has been synonymous with sewing machine. Although sewing machines are SINGER’S core business but the Management realized that this product alone could not substantiate growth for longer periods.
This realization led to diversification into numerous product ranges. Thus, the transformation of SINGER from a single product sewing machine company into a multi-product consumer durable company began in 1985 for further growth and expansion.

This diversification into consumer durables has continued unabated. At different times SINGER has introduced Refrigerators, LCD/LED TV, Color Televisions, Furnitures, Air Conditioners, Fans, Washing Machines, Irons, Microwave Ovens, Rice Cookers, Motorcycles, Instant Power supply, DVD Players, Room Heaters, Air Coolers, Kitchen Appliances, Netbook, Laptop, Desktop Computers, Generators, Blue Ray DVD Players.

SINGER, as part of its diversification program, ventured into the manufacturing and marketing of Frunitures in 2013. 

New Role of SINGER Bangladesh – RETAILER
Gradual transformation of SINGER Shops into ‘Singer Mega’ and ‘Singer Plus’ started back in 2006 as part of its multi-branding strategy. The main focus of this strategy is to make available varied world famous brands under the same product category for providing customers a variety of choice under the same roof. As such SINGER Mega and SINGER Plus Shops now offer world famous brands like BEKO, Grundig, Apple, Samsung, Siemens, Skyworth, Videocon, Preethi, Singtech, Dell, Toshiba, Prestige, Lifestraw and many more alongside with SINGER. 

SGS Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman
Financial Controller & Company Secretary

Established in Bangladesh since 1974, today we operate principally in Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna. We offer consumer testing, systems and services certification, and services for agricultural, government and institutions, oil, gas and chemicals, industrial and environmental projects.

Our core business is consumer testing with a dedicated textile, garments and food testing laboratory in our Dhaka head office. It spans 28,000 square feet across several floors of the Noor Tower and is staffed with 450 highly qualified personnel. Laboratory instrumentation and equipment is calibrated in house and is traceable to national standards. The laboratory is accredited by The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, India (NABL). NABL accreditation is in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025.

We provide softlines, hardlines and food services with a complete range of testing, inspection, assessment and technical assistance services for manufacturers, traders and retailers. We can provide consumer testing for everything from textiles, garments, home textiles, footwear and leather products to handicrafts, household utensils, ceramics and seafood.

We provide a full range of independent quality and quantity inspection services for agricultural, industrial, oil, gas and chemical products. We also offer container scanning services to the government through the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Customs. We also provide a wide range of certification services, including ISO 9001, ISO14000, ISO 22000 and more.

In addition, we provide product conformity assessment services under contract with the governments of Kenya, Egypt, Uganda, Korea, Tanzania, Burundi, Saudi Arabia and many other countries. We are also engaged in mandatory pre-shipment inspections under contract with many governments, including Iran and Cameroon.

Maersk Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Shamim Ul Huq
Managing Director

Maersk Line is the world’s largest container shipping company, known for reliable, flexible and eco-efficient services. We provide ocean transportation in all parts of the world. We serve our customers through 374 offices in 116 countries. We employ 7,000 seafarers and 25,000 land-based employees and operate 580 container vessels. We market our services through the following brands: Maersk Line, Safmarine, MCC Transport (Intra-Asia), Seago Line (Intra-Europe), Mercosul (Brazil), and SeaLand (From 2015 Intra- Americas). 

Maersk Line is part of the Maersk Group, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Group employs about 88,900 people in around 135 countries.

Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bangladesh (NCCI)

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Shamimul-Huq
President

Unilever Bangladesh Limited

Company Profile

Represented By

Mr. Kedar Lele
CEO & Managing Director