Enact anti-hartal law: Businesses

Businesspeople urged the government Sunday to enact a law against hartals (shutdown) and blockades that hurt the country's economy badly.
"The government should frame a law against hartals and blockades for the sake of the country's economy," FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed said while speaking at a sit-in programme.
The programme was organised in front of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) office in the city from 12:00 noon to 12:15 pm.
Calling for an immediate solution to the present political crisis, Mr. Ahmed said the country's economy had already suffered a loss of Tk 750 billion caused by a prolonged blockade and a series of hartals.   
"Due to the ongoing political violence, financial losses of different sectors totalled nearly Tk 750 billion. So, the present political situation should not be allowed to continue," he added.
The businessmen from different trade bodies and associations along with the common people carried national flag and sang national anthem, demanding an immediate end to 'violent politics'.
District chamber and association offices also observed the programme by carrying national flag and singing national anthem.
Earlier, the FBCCI at an emergency meeting on February 01 took the decision to stage a 15-minute sit-in across the country from 12:00 noon on February 08.
The business leaders' call came as the BNP-led 20-party alliance has been enforcing a non-stop transport blockade since January 6 alongside a fresh 72-hour countrywide hartal that began Sunday morning.
The FBCCI president read out a memorandum at the sit-in programme on behalf of the businessmen.
Citing the financial losses of different sectors caused by hartals and blockade, he said readymade garment (RMG) sector incurred losses of Tk 3,000 billion while wholesale and retail sectors Tk 150 billion, agriculture and poultry sectors Tk 95 billion, transport sector Tk 95 billion, real estate sector Tk 77.5 billion, tourism sector Tk 65 billion, manufacturing sector Tk 40 billion and frozen food sector Tk 2.5 billion. 
Mr. Ahmed said the businessmen had come up against the wall. And to get rid of such a volatile situation, steps must be taken without any delay, he observed.
The FBCCI president placed a five-point demand, including immediate withdrawal of hartal and blockade and exemption of interest of bank loans for businesses and industries.
FBCCI 1st Vice-President Monowara Hakim Ali, Vice-President Md Helal Uddin, former president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka  Rokia Afzal Rahman, President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Hossain Khaled, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Atiqul Islam, former FBCCI presidents Salman F Rahman,  Yousuf Abdullah Haroon, AK Azad, Annisul Huq and Mir Nasir Hossain, former DCCI president Asif Ibrahim, members of board of directors of FBCCI and DCCI as well as other leaders of the trade bodies and associations, among others, were present.
Meanwhile, apparel makers expressed Sunday their solidarity with the country's apex trade body and called for an immediate end to the ongoing political impasse.
As part of the apex trade body's countrywide programme, leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) also staged sit-in.
BGMEA Second Vice President SM Mannan Kochi and its senior leader Reaz Bin Mahmud were, among others, present.
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