The Advertising Agencies Association of Bangladesh on Monday organised its ‘Networking Hub’ at Banani Club in the capital, said a press release.
Grameenphone chief executive officer Yasir Azman was present as guest of honour.
The event brought together leading figures from top advertising agencies and brands, who engaged in discussions on market dynamics, creative effectiveness and opportunities for collaboration. A total of 65 participants representing 35 advertising agencies attended.
From Grameenphone, CMO Farha Naz and senior representatives from key marketing divisions were present.
From AAAB’s executive committee, president Sanaul Arefeen, vice-president Nazim Farhan Chowdhury, general secretary Syed Ahsanul Apon, joint secretary MA Maruf, member Muhammad Risalat Siddique and member Meherun Islam Konka were in attendance.
The programme opened with welcome remarks from MA Maruf, followed by a presentation from Syed Ahsanul Apon highlighting key challenges in the advertising industry — such as VAT and tax issues, intellectual property rights and agency pitch fees.
Apon also shared recent achievements under the current executive committee, including easing foreign currency payment procedures for advertising on global platforms (Google, Facebook, YouTube) in coordination with the Bangladesh Bank; collaborating with the National Board of Revenue on VAT policy reforms; and reinstating 100 per cent tax exemption for the advertising-ITES sector.
He invited members to participate in AAAB’s upcoming workshop on producing Cannes-standard work. At the same time, he emphasised the importance of nurturing new talent in the advertising industry and welcomed 23 newly joined member agencies.
Nazim Farhan Chowdhury then introduced Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman, who shared his insights on changing consumer behaviour, the impact of creativity, the evolving allocation of large-brand marketing budgets and the role of AI in content creation.
In his concluding remarks, Yasir Azman said that in this rapidly changing era, adaptation was the key; otherwise, one risked falling behind every day.
He praised the AAAB for the initiative and noted that when C-level professionals and creative minds in advertising came together, they could collectively brainstorm and find effective solutions to these challenges.
In the event, AAAB president Sanaul Arefeen presented a crest to Yasir Azman.
Sanaul stated that AAAB was not confined to paperwork; rather, it was working to build an ecosystem where creativity can thrive, businesses can expand, and Bangladesh’s advertising industry can secure a respected position in the global market.