Sustainability must be core to business strategy

As Bangladesh prepares for LDC graduation and works to meet sustainability goals for 2030, businesses must make sustainability a core part of their strategies to remain competitive in global markets, said Shariful Islam, founder and managing director of Bangladesh Brand Forum.

Sustainability should no longer be treated as an annual discussion, he stressed, but should become part of the DNA of every brand and organisation.

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“Responsible business is no longer a choice; it is the foundation of our competitiveness,” he said.

“This is our moment to move from responsibility to impact, and from compliance to conduct.”

Shariful made the remarks at the “Sustainability Summit 2026”, organised by Bangladesh Brand Forum (BBF) and the Sustainable Brand Initiative at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in Dhaka yesterday, according to a press release.

AkijBashir Group presented the summit, powered by SMC Enterprise Limited and American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), in association with Pran-RFL Group and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

The daylong summit brought together business leaders, policymakers, academics and experts to discuss sustainable and responsible business practices.

Masud Khan, chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), delivered the keynote titled “Sustainable Finance: Mobilising Capital for Bangladesh’s Green Transition”, focusing on how capital markets and green finance can support the country’s low-carbon transition.

A virtual keynote titled “The Next Evolution of Capitalism: Business, Brands and Sustainable Value Creation”, discussed how brands can create long-term value in a purpose-driven economy.

It was jointly presented by Prof Philip Kotler, renowned marketing author, consultant and professor emeritus at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and Khalid Hasan, president of the ResInt Sustainability Institute in Canada.

Shraman Jha, chief executive officer of the Hindustan Unilever Foundation, concluded the keynote sessions with “Why Sustainability Is the New Growth Imperative”, saying sustainability now lies at the heart of business competitiveness and growth.

Among those attending were M Mashrur Reaz, chairman and founder of Policy Exchange Bangladesh; Melita Mehjabeen, professor at the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka; Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhury, chief executive officer of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh PLC; Yasir Azman, chief executive officer of Grameenphone Ltd; Sabbir Hasan Nasir, managing director of ACI Logistics Limited (Shwapno); Vidiya Amrit Khan, vice-president of BGMEA; Mohammed Zahidullah, chief sustainability officer of DBL Group; Nuzhat Anwar, managing director of Dhaka Stock Exchange PLC; KAM Morshed, senior director of BRAC; and Prof Mohammad Nurunnabi, UNESCO Chair.