Highlighting the role of media in economic development, they also emphasised a close interaction between the media people and the business community.

The roundtable on 'Role of Media in Business Advocacy' was organised by International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) at a city hotel.

While speaking at the discussion, Energy Adviser Tapan Chowdhury said the media that has a significant role in promoting business can plead to both the public and private sectors for formulating relative policies.

He however reminded the media's responsibility of projecting success stories for encouraging investment and business activities in the country.

Khairuzzaman Chowdhury, tax ombudsman, Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, the IBFB president, and business journalists from different media took part in the discussion.

The adviser also felt it urgent to take some advocacy measures on the government's part to promote the country's business environment, especially for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

"I think some advocacy measures would be proposed in the upcoming national budget for strengthening the SMEs to ensure their contribution in a bigger way to the national economy," said Chowdhury, also in charge of the ministry of power and mineral resources.

He suggested that besides the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), different trade bodies should come forward to take advocacy measures for projection of the business issues to the government policy makers.

The tax ombudsman asked the media people for being objective rather than writing any motivational report.

Taking the floor, the media people spelt out the problems they are faced with getting right information from both the government and private sector officials.

Shawkat Hossain Masum, business editor, the Daily Prothom Alo, Saiful Islam Dilal, business editor, the Daily Amar Desh, Sirajul Islam Quadir, correspondent of Reuters, and M Tareq Al Naser, chief reporter, The Financial Express, also participated in the discussion.