Rupali Haque Chowdhury

Mrs. Rupali Haque Chowdhury is a distinguished Bangladeshi business leader who serves as the President of the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) for the 2026-27 term, having assumed office in January 2026. She is also the Managing Director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited, a position she has held since 2008, and the President of the Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies (BAPLC).

🎓 Education

Mrs. Chowdhury has a strong academic foundation in both science and business administration:

• 📊 MBA — Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka
• 🔬 BSc (Honors) in Chemistry — University of Chittagong

💼 Career at Berger Paints Bangladesh

Mrs. Chowdhury began her career in 1984 with Ciba Geigy (Bangladesh) Limited, where she rose to the position of Brand Manager. In 1990, she joined Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited, holding various leadership roles across Planning, Marketing, Sales, Distribution, and Systems, before being appointed Managing Director in 2008.

Under her leadership, Berger Paints has grown to become one of Bangladesh's leading paint manufacturers, serving both domestic and industrial markets with a wide range of coating solutions. Her three-decade journey at Berger — from mid-level management to the top position — represents one of the most successful corporate career trajectories in Bangladesh's private sector.

🏢 Board Positions & Leadership Roles

Mrs. Chowdhury leads and serves on the boards of several Berger subsidiaries and joint ventures, as well as major publicly listed companies in Bangladesh:

• 🤝 President, Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) — current term from January 2026
• 📊 President, Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies (BAPLC)
• 🏦 Director, Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL)
• 🏭 Independent Director, LafargeHolcim Bangladesh PLC
• 🚬 Independent Director, British American Tobacco Bangladesh
• 🏗️ Senior Vice President, Bangladesh Economic Zone Investors Association (BEZIA)
• 🎨 Chairperson/Board Member, Berger subsidiaries — including Jenson & Nicholson (Bangladesh) Limited, Berger Becker Bangladesh Limited, Berger Fosroc Limited, and Berger Tech Consulting Limited (BTCL)

🏆 Recognition & CIP Status

Mrs. Chowdhury has been recognized as a Commercially Important Person (CIP) by the Government of Bangladesh for her outstanding contribution to the industrial sector. The CIP designation is one of the highest business honors in Bangladesh, conferred on individuals who have made significant contributions to the country's economic development through industrial investment, export growth, and employment generation.

🌐 Social & Advisory Roles

Her contributions extend beyond the corporate sector to NGOs and advisory roles, including:

• 🏥 Surjer Hashi Group — advisory role in healthcare
• ♿ Bangladesh Business & Disability Network — promoting inclusive business practices
• 👶 UNICEF Bangladesh — advisory engagement on social development

🌏 FICCI Presidency & Vision

As President of FICCI — the apex body of foreign investors in Bangladesh, jointly working in the economic growth of Bangladesh with active participation in more than 21 sectors of development since 1963 — Mrs. Chowdhury leads the chamber's advocacy for foreign investment, policy reform, and Bangladesh's positioning as the "next Asian tiger" investment destination. FICCI represents foreign investors across diverse sectors including manufacturing, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and technology.

Her presidency comes at a critical moment for Bangladesh's investment climate, with the government pursuing an ambitious $1 trillion economy vision by 2034 and seeking to attract higher levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) to support export diversification and economic growth. FICCI under her leadership is expected to play a key role in advocating for policy reforms that improve the ease of doing business and strengthen Bangladesh's competitiveness as an investment destination.