Politicians shrug off businesses' call

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Politicians Sunday shrugged off calls for unity and consensus from business leaders who brought the top leaders from the two major parties, reports bdnews24.com.
FBCCI President Annisul Huq, hosting an iftar attended also by editors and eminent persons, sought to make the politicians promise that they would stop hartals and strikes. Huq told his audience: "If the politics of change has to start, now is the time for it."
"I am short in hearing. I could not hear anything. I will respond if I get a written proposal," said BNP Secretary General Khandker Delwar Hossain, pressed by reporters after the post-iftar Huq speech.
"We will publish our manifesto. Other parties will publish theirs. The people will choose the one they like," said Awami League Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed, responding to journalists.
Tofail dismissed the FBCCI initiative, saying this was not the right forum for such discussion. "We have a policy. Other parties have their policies. Consensus or compromise between political parties cannot be reached this way. Consensus or compromise is something that can be reached in the parliament."
Asked whether AL election manifesto would promise not to call any further hartal, Tofail said, "We have already said that if we are elected to power, we will continue the reform programmes of this government."
AL Presidium Member Amir Hossain Amu, seated on the podium alongside BNP and business leaders, did not comment.
Awami League Acting President Zillur Rahman and Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam did not attend the iftar.
Awami League leaders present on the occasion were: Motia Chowdhury, Farooq Ahmed Chowdhury, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, Asaduzzaman Noor and Dr Hasan Mahmud.
BNP leaders who attended the iftar party included MK Anwar, RA Gani, Khandker Mahbubuddin Ahmad, Abdullah Al Noman, retired Lt Gen Mahbubur Rahman, Nazrul Islam Khan and Rizvy Ahmed.
Besides, CPD Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan, Atiur Rahman, CPD ED Mostafizur Rahman, Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed attended. Among the editors were Ataus Samad, Abed Khan, Moazzem Hossain.
Before the iftar the leaders of Awami League and BNP moved among the guests and exchanged greetings.
Annisul Huq in his written statement said, "Non-stop strikes, hartals and clashes in the past are still nightmares to us. We are the driving force of the economy. We do not want to intrude into anybody's territory. On the other hand, we are not ready to suffer undue losses."