Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin on Monday alleged that the country’s entire economy was criminalised during the autocratic regime, with unnecessary projects and capital flight inflicting significant damage.

He made the remarks while addressing the first session of a two-day conference on ‘Recommendations of the Task Force on Economic Restructuring,’ organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at BRAC Centre in the capital.

Bashiruddin said that criminalisation had taken place in the banking sector and various infrastructure projects.

To strengthen the economy, it is crucial to diversify export products and enhance workers’ skills, the adviser said.

He said that since most of the country’s raw materials were imported, efforts should focus on boosting exports by improving labour productivity, reducing production costs and enhancing efficiency.

The first session of the conference was chaired by KAS Murshid, former director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and chairman of the task force on economic strategy reform.

The event was also attended by CPD chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan, Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member and former commerce minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, CPD distinguished fellow Mustafizur Rahman, CPD executive director Fahmida Khatun and BDJobs CEO AKM Fahim Mashroor.