The business community at a dialogue with the caretaker government Tuesday pleaded that the general election should be held within the announced timeframe no matter what is the outcome of the ongoing dialogue with the political parties, reports UNB.
Business leaders attending the meet vented their concern over the present state of dialogue with political parties as major parties are unwilling to join it leaving their topmost leaders in jail, which might cast negative impacts on the economy.
Representatives of all sectors, business associations and chambers from almost across the country exchanged their views during the dialogue with the government at the Chief Adviser's Office.
This was the first dialogue between the business community and the caretaker government as part of the government's dialogue parallel to the citizens' group alongside the government-political party dialogue on modalities of transition from the long-running interim regime.
After the consultation, which lasted about two hours and a half from 2:30 pm, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Annisul Huq briefed newsmen on behalf of the business community. He said many at the dialogue opined that the election must be held no matter whether the dialogue sees success or not. Election must take place.
He quoted Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed as saying in response that the government would hold the general election by December 31 'at any cost.'
The FBCCI president, however, said an unequivocal view of the businessmen was that they were worried over the present situation of the country, particularly the state of business and economy.
'The country should go back into a democratic environment for the sake of a sound economy and there should be a meaningful election,' he told the reporters.
About 300 business representatives from across the country, covering almost all the districts, participated in the dialogue and 60 to 70 of them took part in discussions, it was informed in the briefing.
The businesses proposed proscribing programmes like hartal, strike, siege, rampage and paralysing ports, which destroy national economy, for at least 10 to 15 years, if necessary by enacting law.
The business community-raised proposals and opinions at the dialogue include business community's readiness to act as negotiator if the government or political parties want, holding local elections before general election, stopping interference by diplomats in domestic problems, stopping lackey politics of students and labour organisations being front organisations of political parties, not participating in election by anybody more than twice in a row, introducing an upper house in parliament like some other countries for professionals.
