Govt mulls Monday-Friday weekdays to tune with global business hours

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FE Report
The government is considering rescheduling the working week from Monday through Friday in an effort to accommodate the country's business hour with its major trading partners, commerce minister Faruk Khan said Sunday.
"We consider it as a sensitive issue," the minister said at a luncheon meeting in the city, "as sentimental concerns including religious ones are associated with our present weekly holidays".
"However, considering the local business houses' growing global interaction, we feel rescheduling of weekly holidays on Saturday and Sunday as a timely call," Mr. Faruk said.
The minister makes the comments after the Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) demanded that the country's weekdays must be rescheduled in a bid to accommodate it with the outside world.
Supporting the foreign investors demand in principle, the Commerce Minister said, "Even in a number of Muslim majority nations, the weekly holiday falls on Sunday".
"Therefore, the government would make a decision regarding the rescheduling of the weekdays after consulting with religious leaders, business houses and other stakeholders," he added.
The commerce minister also said the government would take effective measures regarding the 14 companies who are facing possible displacement following a government move to hand over 60-acre land at the Karnaphuli Export Processing Zones (KEPZ) to the Food Ministry.
Leading donors have criticised the move, saying it would send a very bad signal to potential foreign investors and lead the country to a damaging legal battle with the affected companies. Six out of those 14 foreign companies, which have signed agreements with the EPZ authorities to set up plants on the land, have reportedly sought $100 million compensation from the government.
"I have talked with the food minister over the matter," Mr. Faruk said, "the move is intended to build a food warehouse in that site as the government is planning to increase its food grain storage capacity to two million metric tonnes".
The chamber of the foreign investors noted that these companies which have planned to invest over US$ 180 million in that land would face 'immeasurable loss' if the land is handed over to the food ministry.
Terming the present government as 'business friendly' which facilitates foreign investment, the commerce minister said they would look after the matter with due consideration.
Earlier, members of the apex body of the foreign investors urged the minister to resolve the energy crisis in the country and stressed improvement of services at the Chittagong seaport.
President of FICCI Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan in his speech said foreign investors still face discrimination and a negative perception in the country.
"A level playing field must be created for the foreign investors given their growing importance in the country's economy", he said.





which have signed agreements with the EPZ authorities to set up plants on the land, have reportedly sought $100 million compensation from the government.
"I have talked with the food minister over the matter," Mr. Faruk said, "the move is intended to build a food warehouse in that site as the government is planning to increase its food grain storage capacity to two million metric tonnes".
The chamber of the foreign investors noted that these companies which have planned to invest over US$ 180 million in that land would face 'immeasurable loss' if the land is handed over to the food ministry.
Terming the present government as 'business friendly' which facilitates foreign investment, the commerce minister said they would look after the matter with due consideration.
Earlier, members of the apex body of the foreign investors urged the minister to resolve the energy crisis in the country and stressed improvement of services at the Chittagong seaport.
President of FICCI Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan in his speech said foreign investors still face discrimination and a negative perception in the country.