Moin Mahmood: The government is strengthening inter-ministerial coordination to remove regulatory barriers and unlock the huge investment potential of Bangladesh`s maritime sector. Ashiq Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of MIDA, spoke at a seminar titled ‘Investment Potential in Fisheries and Marine Sector in Bangladesh’ at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital today, in partnership with JICA. Ashiq Mahmud said that the government’s fragmented policies have long been a major obstacle to investment in the marine economy. Leveraging BIDA’s position under the Prime Minister’s Office, the agency is working as a central coordinating body within the Ministry of Fisheries and Commerce and formulating a coherent and business-friendly policy package, he added. Calling for a shift in the national mindset towards the untapped opportunities of the marine economy, away from land-based resources, Ashiq expressed optimism about the potential of the sector. “We are pushing the internal management of the government to transform our country into a true fish-exporting nation,” he said, predicting a major transformation in the sector in the next three to five years. The chief guest at the event was the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, Dr. Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid. Sultan Salahuddin Tuku MP, State Minister of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, was present as the special guest. Naoki Takahashi, Minister of the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, was also present at the seminar. Ashiq Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of Mida, was the host and panel chair of the event.