The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the country's apex business body, has urged the Islamic parties to withdraw their 30-hour hartal in order to allow the continued economic flow of the country.
The FBCCI president, AK Azad, made the appeal from a press conference held at
FBCCI office in the capital Saturday afternoon.
Azad said the country and its people just experienced a 48-hour marathon hartal and another 30-hour hartal begins to today.
He said the political scenario in the country had been deteriorating due to frequent hartals called by different political parties, which create uncertainty in conducting business activities.
'Hartal impedes economic advancement. Markets of our products will shift to other countries where stable political situation prevails. At any cost, we have to resist the culture of hartal.'
He requested all political parties to 'shun destructive and anti-productive politics like hartal' for the greater interest of the common people.
The FBCCI president said the business community felt that there was no alternative to strengthening democracy and democratic institutions for a universal and balanced socio-political development of the country.
He informed that the FBCCI leaders would visit different parts of the country to create mass awareness against hartal. 'We'll arrange meetings and discussions with business community, professionals and working people for creating opinion against hartal.'
President of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Asif Ibrahim, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice-president Nihad Kabir and Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Monwara Hakim Ali also spoke at the press conference.
Source : New Age
