The exchange rate of dollar needs to be freed to make the garment business profitable at this crisis time, said a top leader of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) today.

The garment exporters are getting the exchange rate at Tk 97 per dollar but they have to buy dollar at Tk 115 from the bank when they import capital machinery and other industrial raw materials, said Miran Ali, vice president of the BGMEA.

He also stressed the need for freeing the business from some unnecessary law, which go against the growth of business now.

He spoke at a discussion on "Bangladesh Economy: The Way Forward organised by The Daily Star at its office in Dhaka.

Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue; Salehuddin Ahmed, former governor of the Bangladesh Bank; Sayema Haque Bidisha, economics professor of Dhaka University; Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute; Miran Ali, managing director of BGMEA vice president, and MM Akash, economics professor of Dhaka University, attend a roundtable on “Bangladesh economy: the way forward” organised by The Daily Star at The Daily Star Centre in Dhaka today. The Daily Star Editor and Published Mahfuz Anam moderated the event. Photo: Prabir Das

Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue; Salehuddin Ahmed, former governor of the Bangladesh Bank; Sayema Haque Bidisha, economics professor of Dhaka University; Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute; and MM Akash, economics professor of Dhaka University, also spoke at the event moderated by The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam.