The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) called upon the BNP-led 20-party alliance to withdraw today's (Monday) hartal for the sake of saving country's economy from fresh setbacks.
Packed in a note of concern, the call from the apex trade body came in the wake of return of cycles of shutdowns to end a lull following the pre-election strikes and bouts of mayhem.
Today's dawn-to-dusk general strike begins when a 24-hour second spell of hartal called alone by Jamaat-e-Islami, a major component of the alliance, ends at 6am.
Earlier on Thursday, the Islamic party sponsored the first round of 24-hour shutdown to press for complete release of its leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee whose death sentence was commuted to life in prison the day before.
Concerned over the strike call, the FBCCI aired the fear that any destructive programme, including hartal, would cast a negative impact on country's image and discourage foreign investment.
"Investment-friendly environment is now prevailing in the country. There are positive signs for foreign-currency reserve, remittance, foreign investment, and import-export activities," it said in a statement Sunday.
The statement adds: "Foreign investors of different countries, including China and Japan, have expressed interest in investing in the country. In this situation, repeated hartal and other destructive programmes would cast a negative impact on the country's image and discourage investment."
The apex trade body also pointed out that the transportaion of sacrificail animals and other commercial activities are being hampered due to hartal. It also affects the country's ecnonomy and other activities.
The FBCCI noted that a political party (Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami) enforced 48 hours' hartal. And calling hartal again for Monday by another politicla party (BNP and its allies) would hamper public life, production, transportion of goods, eduction and other activities of different sectors.
"Destructive programme like hartal would push the country's economy towards detruction. The country's business community expresses concren over hartal. In the name of hartal, creating destruction and loss of life and property can never be welcomed," the statement said.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com