Workplace Health Safety for Business Continuity With Inland Container Depot (ICD) During COVID-19

To disseminate and reemphasise the core health safety guidelines to prevent further spread of the disease and maintain trade and business activities of the economy following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) and International Finance Corporation organised a virtual workshop on Workplace Health Safety for Business Continuity with Inland Container Depot (ICD) during COVID-19 on 7 March 2021.

This initiative is supported by Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund II, which is implemented by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The workshop’s objectives were to sensitise concerned service providers and service takers to maintain health safety measures to run businesses even in the post-COVID stage to mitigate export losses.

In the beginning, Ferdaus Ara Begum, CEO, BUILD, welcomed the participants and informed them that Inland Container Depot (ICD) contributed a lot to attaining revenue collection, which is continuously increasing, and the documentation processing time has also been reduced further. She reiterated that Bangladesh had been qualified as a developing country by the UN, which has enhanced the country’s image while posing new challenges. In the coming days, we will have to run our businesses, maintaining our health safety issues.

Saiyab Amal Ahmed, Consultant, International Finance Corporation (IFC), presented the keynote and explained how IFC works closely with NBR in regard to preparing policies, health safety guidelines and implementation of favourable trade policies. In this respect, he referred to the salient points of the WBG global guidance notes and acknowledged the role of NBR, ICD greatly.

Mr Nazmul Hoque, Additional Commissioner, Dhaka Custom Inland Container Depot (ICD), appreciated and thanked IFC for supporting them in preparing health safety guidelines to tackle the COVID situation. Because of continuing business while maintaining health safety guidelines during COVID19, revenue collection was almost uninterrupted. They have kept ICD operation open 24/7 days to support business and the private sector.

Enclosed is the press release (in English) for your kind consideration. Please feel free to contact us for any queries.