A bus requisitioned by police is burning near the BNP headquarters at Nayapaltan in the capital yesterday around 7:00pm, an hour after the opposition's dawn-to-dusk countrywide hartal ends. Photo: Courtesy
The country's business community has expressed grave concern as the hartal called by main opposition BNP demanding trace of its missing leader Ilias Ali steps on the third consecutive day.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex trade body, yesterday called a media briefing for today to urge the political leaders to keep from hartal and find an alternative to solve the deepening political crisis.
“The economy of the country is heading towards uncertainty as the businesses are being adversely affected by political strikes,” said AK Azad, president of FBCCI.
Hartal is not the solution, he said, “We want political leaders to figure out an alternative so that the economy of the country is not hampered.”
Amjad Khan Chowdhury, president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said businesses suffer as goods transportation as well as the domestic market is seriously disturbed on hartal days.
He said he could not transport dairy milk to the capital from the northern region of the country for hartal.
Readymade garments sector, the main foreign currency earner, has also expressed deep concern over the continuation of hartal.
In a statement yesterday, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturer and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said they could not transport goods up to Chittagong port for export due to hartal. As a result, they would have to count discount for delayed shipment or send their consignments by air, which was very expensive.
With inadequate supply of power and gas, and weak infrastructure, the prolonged hartal would only add to the suffering of the readymade garment sector, which was already going through a tough time for the ongoing financial meltdown in two important export destinations, the EU and the US, said the statement.
No comments:
Post a Comment