Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) organised the discussion on 'CSR Practices and Challenges in Bangladesh' at its conference room in Gulshan, Dhaka.

"There is a misunderstanding about practising CSR, as many think that by complying with CSR the corporate houses would be losers. But the fact is the businesses that applied CSR practices could create a good working environment and increase productivity," BEI President Farooq Sobhan said at the roundtable.

The 13th version of the roundtable was a part of a series of dialogue on 'CSR in Action' that BEI organises every month in a bid to raise awareness of CSR practices and implement those in Bangladesh.

Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), and Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Group, among others, spoke at the discussion.

Shaheen Anam said the goal of the MJF, an organisation for promoting human rights and good governance in Bangladesh, is to help the have-nots establish their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and ensure their security and well-being.

Complying with CSR has direct link with rights, governance and public-private partnership, she said while presenting a keynote paper.

At the roundtable, the businesspeople who complied with CSR described how they could improve the productivity of their organisations through CSR practices.

Speakers said CSR is something more than charity as it engages the corporate houses in local communities and interacts with the companies' workforce, environment and sustainability, and community.