Advisor Fauzul Kabir: Avoiding Bank Loans and Utility Bills Is the Key to Becoming Rich in Bangladesh

PNN News Desk | Dhaka

Highlighting the characteristics of the country’s wealthy, Advisor for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan said that those who do not repay bank loans or pay electricity and gas bills are the ones who have become rich in Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Thursday (December 4) at a program organized by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) at BIDA Bhaban, attended by nearly 50 top business leaders.

Fauzul Kabir Khan referred to the growth of the private sector as “crony capitalism,” saying, “Who are the wealthy in our country? Those who do not repay bank loans. Who are the asset-rich? Those who do not pay gas or electricity bills. However, I do not solely blame the businesspeople; the system itself has been this way.”

He further said that businesspeople generally accumulate wealth through production and innovation, and the government will create more opportunities for the private sector. After the event, he left for an urgent meeting.

Following his departure, attendees shared their views. Managing Director of Apex Footwear, Syed Nasim Manzur, commented, “The wealthy in Bangladesh are not only businesspeople; bureaucrats are also involved. Many government officials are among those who launder money.”

He added, “We do not want to hold responsible the businessmen who should be caught—those who steal money, gas, or electricity.”

This statement indicates that wealth in Bangladesh has not been created solely through business but, in some cases, through government processes and irregularities.