AMCHAM DIALOGUE ON “STRENGTHENING IPR FRAMEWORKS: CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD”

• 05 Nov 2024
• 3:30 pm
• The Westin Hotel, Dhaka

The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) hosted a dialogue on

“Strengthening IPR Frameworks: Challenges and Way Forward” on November 05, 2024 at the Westin Hotel, Dhaka

A strengthened IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) regime is essential for Bangladesh’s economic growth and enhancing foreign investment. This will position us as an attractive destination for global business, promoting sustainable economic integration and growth.

Previously the AmCham hosted a seminar on “IPR Protection & Practices: Driving Economic Growth in Bangladesh” on 30 November, 2023, AmCham submitted a recommendation to the Senior Secretary, Ministry of Industries. As Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status approached, the Chamber organized a seminar to review the progress of the submitted recommendations and AmCham’s ongoing commitment to promoting intellectual property rights (IPR), the chamber organized the dialogue with the involvement of all the relevant government stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and AmCham members whose businesses have relevance to IPR.

Ms. Shilpi Jha, Senior Commercial Specialist & IP Policy Advisor-South Asia at United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Mr. Barrister Hamidul Mishbah, IP Lawyer & Founder, Bangladesh IP Forum attended the dialogue event. AmCham President Mr. Syed Ershad Ahmed joined as the Session Chair, Treasurer Mr. Al-Mamun M Rashel and Executive Committee members Mr. Mirza Shajib Raihan and Ms. Rubaba Dowla, and a few AmCham members including Mr. Kabir Ahmed, Chairman, Conveyor Logistics Limited; President, BAFFA, Mr. Syed Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager, MasterCard, Mr. John Fay, Commercial Counselor, U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Mr. Zaved Akhtar, President of FICCI, Mr. Ashraf Ahmed, President of DCCI, Mr. Abdul Muktadir, Chairman and Managing Director at Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and President of BAPI. Mr. Md. Munim Hassan, Director General, Department of Patent, Design & Trademarks, Mr. Hossain Ahmed, Member (Customs: Policy and ICT), NBR, Prof. Md. Mamun Habib, Ph.D., School of Business & Entrepreneurship, Independent University, Bangladesh and members/representative from Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, , Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, ICT Ministry, Law Enforcement Agency, Academicians, Researchers, Business lawyers and Legal Experts, Trade and Business Editors from different Media also attended the seminar.

Some key issues highlighted for further improvements are reviewing Customs IPR rules, centralized filing system to NBR, business software and cloud protection, trade mark registration issue resolution, Protecting the intellectual property rights of consumers and buyers in the RMG sector, awareness and capacity building on IPR, enforcing IPR Compliance in Procurement, IPR friendly ecosystem development, introducing a new law for IP creators, enhancing Enforcement Coordination, international patent law enforcement, and reforming the existing IPR law. The discussion, along with the new recommendations, if implemented effectively, could attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) and contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth in Bangladesh.

The dialogue was supported by Conveyor Logistics Ltd., one of the industry leaders who is committed to promoting sustainable economic integration and growth in the logistic sector in Bangladesh. The Chairman of Conveyor Logistics Ltd., Mr. Kabir Ahmed, also had a brief recommendation on the issue.