Top executives of multinational companies in Bangladesh today urged the interim government to ensure predictability in licensing procedures and tax measures and improve the overall ease of doing business to encourage foreign direct investment.

While calling on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, they also demanded full facilities under the one-stop services at the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) and sought measures to improve the country's credit rating in order to attract investors, according to a press statement from the chief advisers' office.

At the meeting, Yunus urged the executives to collaborate with the government to promote Bangladesh to potential investors and ensure business opportunities expanded in the country.

"As a team, we have to work together. We are a team for the country," he said, "Be the brand ambassadors of the country and it will encourage potential investors to come to Bangladesh."

Over a dozen chief executive officers, managing directors, and country heads called on Prof Yunus at the Jamuna State Guest House to discuss business and investment opportunities in Bangladesh.

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Lutfey Siddiqi, the special envoy to the chief adviser for international affairs, Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of the Bida and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, and Abdur Rahman Khan, chairman of the National Board of Revenue, were also present at the meeting.

The executives lauded the government's initiatives towards labour rights reforms and assured it of all kinds of support, the statement added.

Yunus asked the executives to maintain transparency in businesses.

"Help us identify issues and challenges so that we can address them," he said.

Lutfey Siddiqi termed the CEOs as standard bearers in business.

"There was a trust deficit in the past. We need to bridge that," he said.

Ashik Chowdhury said they are introducing relationship managers at the Bida to ensure smooth services.

He added that he and Siddiqi would travel to Singapore next month to hold discussions with rating agencies.

NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan spoke about the launch of the National Single Window, which promises to significantly bolster the ease of doing business.

Zaved Akhtar, chairman and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh, Eric M Walker, managing director of Chevron Bangladesh, Yasir Azman, CEO of Grameenphone, and Md Mahbub ur Rahman, CEO of The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation in Bangladesh, were present.

Others present included Muhammad Alauddin Ahmad, CEO of MetLife Bangladesh, Abdur Rashid, country managing director of SGS Bangladesh, MHM Fairoz, managing director and CEO of Singer Bangladesh, Najith Meewanage, CEO of Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Rubaba Dowla, country managing director of Oracle Bangladesh, Manabu Sugawara, country head of Marubeni Corporation, Faisal Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of Baraka Power, Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhury, CEO of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh, Md Miarul Haque, managing director of DHL Worldwide Express Bangladesh Private, and Sumitava Basu, country head of Marico Bangladesh.