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Experts and policymakers today stressed the need for an effective legal and institutional framework to address the challenges of intellectual property (IP) protection following Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.
They said the changing intellectual property landscape would create new challenges for Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical, readymade garment, information technology, agriculture and other industrial sectors, while also opening up opportunities for innovation, technological advancement, branding and value addition.
They made the remarks at a focus group discussion titled “Industrial Shift in the Post-LDC Era: Strategies for IPR Issues of Key Industries”, jointly organised by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Support to Sustainable Graduation Project (SSGP) and the Economic Relations Division (ERD) at the DCCI Auditorium in the city.
ERD Secretary Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky attended the programme as the chief guest.
In his introductory remarks, SSGP Project Director and Additional Secretary A.H.M. Jahangir said the private sector would face the most significant challenges in the post-LDC era.
He stressed the importance of ensuring proper enforcement of intellectual property laws, preparing industries for the transition and formulating necessary policies.
In his welcome address, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed said the importance of intellectual property rights (IPR) for products is continuously increasing in the global economy.
“A strong intellectual property rights ecosystem is essential for Bangladesh in the post-LDC era,” he said.
He said Bangladesh should focus not only on increasing production in promising sectors such as pharmaceuticals and readymade garments, but also on innovation, branding, technology transfer and value addition.
Taskeen Ahmed identified structural delays in the existing IPR system, inadequate institutional coordination, lack of necessary policies, limited institutional capacity and insufficient awareness among private sector entrepreneurs as major challenges.
He proposed establishing a modern and effective intellectual property rights office, setting up IP tribunals in Dhaka and Chattogram for speedy dispute resolution, introducing an automated digital system for trademark registration, recruiting trained manpower and creating greater awareness among entrepreneurs, particularly SME entrepreneurs.
ERD Secretary Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky said locally produced goods have significant demand in the domestic market and there is considerable potential for exporting them if their designs and quality can be improved further.
He noted that although budget allocations exist for research, the funds are not always utilised, while there are also allegations of inadequate allocations for research.
“This indicates a lack of coordination which needs to be addressed,” he said.
The ERD secretary said the government is announcing a special fund for the SME sector, but enhancing entrepreneurs’ capacity and ensuring sustainable development would be essential for effectively implementing such allocations.
He said the government, through the SSGP project, is providing sector-specific technical assistance and necessary amendments and reforms would be made to relevant policies.
He, however, stressed that the private sector would also have to come forward.
The ERD secretary also said initiatives have been taken to bring all government services under digital operations, which are expected to be launched soon.
The keynote paper was presented by Mohammad Ataul Karim, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford and former consultant at WIPO Academy.
He emphasised the need for Bangladesh’s industries to make strategic use of intellectual property rights to adapt to the changing realities of the post-LDC era.
He stressed the importance of making effective use of existing legal flexibilities available to Bangladesh on IPR, while strengthening research and development, industry-academia collaboration and incentives for innovation.
In the panel discussion, Md. Jahangir Hossain, Director General of the Department of Patents, Industrial Designs and Trademarks (DPDT), said each industrial sector should formulate its own action plan to overcome post-LDC challenges and ensure appropriate initiatives and support from relevant government agencies.
Abdul Baki, Project Adviser of SSGP and former secretary, said the extended timeframe for LDC graduation should be utilised effectively through greater coordination among relevant government agencies and close collaboration with the private sector.
Major General Dr. Md. Shahedul Islam (Retd), Secretary General of BGMEA, said effective enforcement of Bangladesh’s own intellectual property laws and incentives and support for entrepreneurs are essential to address post-LDC challenges.
KSM Mostafizur Rahman, President of the Bangladesh Agrochemical Manufacturers Association (BAMA), called for identifying the agrochemical sector as a priority sector and formulating effective and updated policies.
Raisul Kabir, Founder and CEO of Brain Station 23 Limited, said Bangladesh cannot achieve future success by focusing solely on outsourcing without giving adequate priority to new technology and innovation.
He stressed the need for greater focus on innovation in the IT sector, stronger coordination between academia and industry, and enhanced attention to IP security and enforcement of intellectual property laws.
Faez Ahmed, Deputy General Manager of Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd, said strict enforcement of international intellectual property rights in the domestic pharmaceutical market in the post-LDC era could significantly increase medicine prices, potentially placing an additional burden on consumers.
He stressed that the issue should be taken into consideration while also emphasising the need to strengthen technological capabilities in the pharmaceutical sector.
Md Azizur Rahman FCS, Director General of the Intellectual Property Association of Bangladesh (IPAB), emphasised creative engineering, building brands for locally developed products, improving human resource skills and developing and adopting new technologies.
Dr. Abureza M Muzareba, Professor of Marketing at the Faculty of Business Studies, University of Dhaka, called for stronger public-private collaboration in developing new products and technologies.
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Representatives from various public and private institutions and members of the DCCI Board of Directors were also present at the event.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/business/1f1b5c05-5eef-6cf0-988c-16ec209a3ae2