BKMEA, Chittagong businesses call for hartal withdrawal
Sunday, 28 November 2010
FE Report
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), apex trade promotion body in knitwear sector, has urged the main opposition Bangladesh Natiuonalist Party (BNP) to withdraw its countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on November 30 in the greater interest of the national economy.
The leaders of BKMEA have also requested the political parties to go for an alternative course of action to shun the practice of resorting to hartal, noting that it (hartal) also goes against the public's basic rights.
"Hartal does not serve any useful purpose for bettering the lot of the people because it violates their rights in many ways and hampers their movement and economic activities," Habibur Rahman, acting president BKMEA, said at a press conference in the city on Saturday.
Export sector is most affected by hartal (general strike), he said adding that supply of raw materials and production-oriented activities are hampered and exporters then fail to maintain the lead time of the buyers that entail losses for them and hurt competitiveness.
The BKMEA leader also requested the ruling party leaders to ensure that they would avoid calling hartal even when they would be in the opposition for any reason.
"The political parties should reach an understanding and find out an alternative to hartal as a political action programme to realise their demands," he said.
Though hartal is also a basic right of political parties, they should use it in full appreciation of its gravity as it is known to be the last mechanism to realise demands, Mr Rahman said.
The knitwear industry experienced an impressive growth of over 37 per cent in the first four months of the current fiscal year, he stated, adding, "The hartal will cause a big blow to it."
The country earned $2888.03 million from export of knitwear items during July-October of 2010-11 fiscal compared to $2093.22 million in the same period of the last fiscal.
He said Bangladesh managed to gain the confidence of foreign buyers over the last couple of years, as there was virtually no general strike during the period.
But the hartal culture has now staged a comeback and it, he feared, would seriously jeopardise the business-friendly environment as it has become the talking-issue since the last hartal on November 14.
"This time is very important for the industry because this is time for getting orders," he said, adding, due to hartal, buyers would become panicky and this will have a negative impact on Bangladesh in the global apparel market.
Our Chittagong Correspondent adds: Business leaders in Chittagong on Saturday urged the main opposition BNP to call off its nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal (general strike) on November 30 for the sake of the national economy, keeping the people's sufferings into utmost consideration.
They have made strong pleas to the opposition to go for any alternative programme, other than hartal, to press home their demand as the shut-down will damage the country's image abroad.
Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI) made the call at a press conference at its office at Agrabad in the port city.
CMCCI president and chairman of Chittagong Development Authority Abdus Salam and vice president of the trade body Mizanur Rahman addressed the press conference.
Terming hartal as a 'destructive' programme, Salam said the general strike has been called at a time when the government has started taking actions to help boost the sick industries to save the country's economy.
Hartal also affects the people as it disrupts movement of commodities throughout the country, resulting in increasing sufferings of the people who are end-users of these commodities.
"It also discourages investment from home and abroad," he said.
Asked if he is seeking the withdrawal of hartal on behalf of the government, himself being treasurer of the ruling party Awami League's city unit, he said, there is politics in business circles but he is against politics in business.
Sufi Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the PHP Group said arrogance of some political leaders stands on the way towards progress. He urged the government to fulfill the demand of the opposition by giving 30 seats, in the front row of the parliament.
SA Group managing director Md Shahabuddin, CMCCI director Mahbub Chowdhury, professor Md Jahagir and Nurul Alam were also present.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), apex trade promotion body in knitwear sector, has urged the main opposition Bangladesh Natiuonalist Party (BNP) to withdraw its countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on November 30 in the greater interest of the national economy.
The leaders of BKMEA have also requested the political parties to go for an alternative course of action to shun the practice of resorting to hartal, noting that it (hartal) also goes against the public's basic rights.
"Hartal does not serve any useful purpose for bettering the lot of the people because it violates their rights in many ways and hampers their movement and economic activities," Habibur Rahman, acting president BKMEA, said at a press conference in the city on Saturday.
Export sector is most affected by hartal (general strike), he said adding that supply of raw materials and production-oriented activities are hampered and exporters then fail to maintain the lead time of the buyers that entail losses for them and hurt competitiveness.
The BKMEA leader also requested the ruling party leaders to ensure that they would avoid calling hartal even when they would be in the opposition for any reason.
"The political parties should reach an understanding and find out an alternative to hartal as a political action programme to realise their demands," he said.
Though hartal is also a basic right of political parties, they should use it in full appreciation of its gravity as it is known to be the last mechanism to realise demands, Mr Rahman said.
The knitwear industry experienced an impressive growth of over 37 per cent in the first four months of the current fiscal year, he stated, adding, "The hartal will cause a big blow to it."
The country earned $2888.03 million from export of knitwear items during July-October of 2010-11 fiscal compared to $2093.22 million in the same period of the last fiscal.
He said Bangladesh managed to gain the confidence of foreign buyers over the last couple of years, as there was virtually no general strike during the period.
But the hartal culture has now staged a comeback and it, he feared, would seriously jeopardise the business-friendly environment as it has become the talking-issue since the last hartal on November 14.
"This time is very important for the industry because this is time for getting orders," he said, adding, due to hartal, buyers would become panicky and this will have a negative impact on Bangladesh in the global apparel market.
Our Chittagong Correspondent adds: Business leaders in Chittagong on Saturday urged the main opposition BNP to call off its nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal (general strike) on November 30 for the sake of the national economy, keeping the people's sufferings into utmost consideration.
They have made strong pleas to the opposition to go for any alternative programme, other than hartal, to press home their demand as the shut-down will damage the country's image abroad.
Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI) made the call at a press conference at its office at Agrabad in the port city.
CMCCI president and chairman of Chittagong Development Authority Abdus Salam and vice president of the trade body Mizanur Rahman addressed the press conference.
Terming hartal as a 'destructive' programme, Salam said the general strike has been called at a time when the government has started taking actions to help boost the sick industries to save the country's economy.
Hartal also affects the people as it disrupts movement of commodities throughout the country, resulting in increasing sufferings of the people who are end-users of these commodities.
"It also discourages investment from home and abroad," he said.
Asked if he is seeking the withdrawal of hartal on behalf of the government, himself being treasurer of the ruling party Awami League's city unit, he said, there is politics in business circles but he is against politics in business.
Sufi Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the PHP Group said arrogance of some political leaders stands on the way towards progress. He urged the government to fulfill the demand of the opposition by giving 30 seats, in the front row of the parliament.
SA Group managing director Md Shahabuddin, CMCCI director Mahbub Chowdhury, professor Md Jahagir and Nurul Alam were also present.