BUILD’s Board of Trustees plays an influential role in terms of transformational leadership, coherent strategy, and bringing innovative skills into the fold. Following are the incumbent trustees for the current year.
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Mahbubul Alam has been elected as the president of the FBCCI. He is also the Chairman of M. Alam Group. Alam is a former Chairperson of BUILD, former Vice-President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Vice-President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), former Director of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vice-President of the Confederation of Eastern Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Governing Board Member of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Board Member, Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Bangladesh Railway Container Service Ltd. and Custom Excise and VAT Training Academy, Chattogram, Member of Advisory Committee of Chittagong Port Authority, Director of the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICCB), Executive Board Member of the Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute and also working as Consul General of the Republic of Mali.
Nihad Kabir, Barrister-at-Law, Senior Advocate, former President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has taken over as the Chairperson of the Trustee Board of Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) for the year 2022-23. She succeeds Abul Kasem Khan, former President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), who was the Chairperson of BUILD for 2020-21.
Nihad Kabir is a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. She is the Senior Partner of Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad and Associates, a leading law firm in the country. She is an independent director on the Board of Square Textiles Limited, and a Director of Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), among others. She has previously chaired the Boards of BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage Limited and BRAC EPL Investment Limited and has been a board member of Bkash, Brac Bank and several other listed companies. She is a Senior Fellow and Board member of BIDS, a member of the Board of Governors of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre, and Chairperson of Ain o Salish Kendra, a legal aid institution.
Nihad has been a member of the National Pay and Services Commission and the National Education Policy Committee, Government of Bangladesh. She was also the Chairperson of BUILD for 2017.
Ashraf Ahmed is the President of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) for 2024. He is a graduate of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka, currently serves as the CEO of Riverstone Capital Limited, an international merchant bank. With a background in multinational banks like ANZ Grindlays, Standard Chartered, and HSBC, he brings almost three decades of experience in project finance, capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions.
Ashraf’s expertise lies in navigating the complexities of large-scale project finance, capital and debt market solutions, mergers and acquisitions, and various facets of the financial landscape. As the newly elected president of DCCI, Ahmed is poised to lead the organisation with vision and dedication, leveraging his extensive background to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the business community in Dhaka and beyond.
Kamran Tanvirur Rahman is the President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) for 2024. He is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of Kapna Tea Company Limited and Pubali Jute Mills Limited, and also serves as the Bangladesh Tea Association (BTA) Chairman.
An Independent Director of Advanced Chemical Industries Limited (ACI) and its subsidiaries, Kamran T. Rahman, has held significant roles within MCCI, previously serving as the Senior Vice-President and Vice-President. Additionally, he served as the President of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF). With a global perspective, Rahman contributed as a member (Employers’ Group) of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland, during the terms 2009-2012, 2012-2014, and 2014-2017. His extensive experience and leadership roles underline his commitment to local and international business environments.
Mr Abul Kasem Khan was the Chairperson of BUILD for the year 2020-21. He was President of DCCI in 2010, 2017 and 2018. He is Managing Director of AK Khan Telecom Limited and Director of AK Khan & Co. Limited. Mr Khan is currently a Director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FBCCI) for the year 2021-2023. He is also a Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund (BICF) member. He was also a Director in Titas Gas & Distribution Co. Ltd (TGDCL), TM Bangladesh Ltd (AKTEL) and Dhaka Stock Exchange Ltd (DSE). He was also a Member of NCMID (National Committee for Monitoring Implementation of Doing Business Reforms) in 2018.
Md Saiful Islam was the president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) for the year 2023 and Trustee Board Member of BUILD in 2022-23. He is a leading entrepreneur and commercially important person since 1998, is now serving as managing director of Picard Bangladesh.Md. Saiful Islam is one of the leading businessmen/industrialists in the country having 35 years of business experience in various fields like Shipbuilding, leathergoods manufacturing, dredging and hospitality etc. He has started his business carrier in 1986 in shipping sector such as Ship-Chartering, Ship-owning, Ship-repair etc. With his intellectual ideas and hardworking he has spread his business wings to some other sectors like leather goods. In 1997, he established joint venture company (namely, PICARD Bangladesh Ltd.) in conjunction with PICARD Lederwaren GmbH Co. & KG, Germany which manufactures/exports leathergoods and getting Export Trophy for every year.
Mr Afsarul Arifeen is the Secretary General of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI). He previously served the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) as the Secretary.
Mr Farooq Ahmed is currently the Secretary General of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka. He is also currently serving Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF) as the Secretary General.
Engr. Mohd. Farque Ahmed is the Secretary of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
Mrs Ferdaus Ara Begum is presently working as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BUILD. She has served as the Secretary of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) — a leading and reputed Chamber in the country as well as acted as the head of the DCCI Research Cell for several years. She also worked as Executive Director of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and gathered experiences working with SAARC countries.
