Businessmen warn of tougher course against hartal-blockade

Business leaders on Saturday urged the main political parties to end the current political crisis by working out a consensus immediately, otherwise, they cautioned, overall economic activities would be paralysed and the situation would become unbearable to the nation. Observing a token hunger strike, business leaders threatened tougher programmes against destructive politics and said if the political parties do not give up confrontational politics, people will give up on them. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association jointly organised the programme in front of the BGMEA office. ‘We want to do business peacefully. It is not acceptable that business people are forced to come down to the streets because of the political situation,’ BGMEA president Md Atiqul Islam said. Requesting political parties to ensure business-friendly environment, he said ‘do not force businesses to take to the streets, along with their employees, which may lead the country to collapse,’ he said. Due to political unrest international buyers are not feeling comfortable to do business with Bangladesh and they are searching for alternative sourcing countries, he said. Atiq announced two committees – one headed by former BGMEA president Shafiul Islam to set the next course of action for businessmen against the ongoing political violence and another, headed by former BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy, to look into the problems like bank loans and utility bills of the factories for the period of political unrest. President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, urged the political parties to resolve the crisis through consensus. ‘Businessmen do not want to see anarchy and petrol bomb attacks.

I request both the ruling and opposition parties to take a move to establish peace,’ he said. ‘Despite repeated requests from the business community if the crisis is not resolved, we will take up a larger movement, teaming up with professionals including journalists and lawyers,’ former FBCCI president AK Azad said. He said buyers are worried and they want to know when the crisis will end in Bangladesh, but manufacturers are unable tell them anything. Azad requested political parties not to destroy the economy through destructive programmes. Former BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy said the present crisis is completely political and it should be resolved politically. ‘We hate those politicians who are killing people and destroying the economy in the name of politics,’ he said. Murshedy said ‘if this situation continues, people will become angry at political parties and put up a stand against the violence.’ The token hunger strike called by the garment and textile sector leaders started at 11:00 am. Dhaka University vice-chancellor AMS Arefin Siddique broke the hunger strike at about 6pm by offering juice to hunger strikers. During the programme, a crude bomb went off at 12:28 pm near the stage but no one was injured in the blast. Following the blast, police stopped traffic on the road in front of the BGMEA building. Because of suspension of traffic movement on the road, commuters suffered from a huge tailback in the Karwan Bazaar and Maghbazar area.

- See more at: http://newagebd.net/95390/businessmen-warn-of-tougher-course-against-hartal-blockade/#sthash.dEptpZ0B.dpuf