Moeen says businessmen won't be hassled

Army chief General Moeen U Ahmed Wednesday told businessmen at a high-profile meeting that they would not be unnecessarily hassled. "I want to say with certainty that no businessman will needlessly be harassed," Moeen told a meeting where businessmen sat with the top brass of the government in the city's Radisson Water Garden hotel. Businessmen asked the government to ensure a fearless environment for businesses. They said bringing confidence back to the mind of the businessmen was important to rein in the soaring prices of essentials—a concern that irks the interim administration most. They also voiced concern over what they said was the government's excessive adherence to the prescriptions of lending agencies. Business leaders said they wished to leave the meeting with a sense of security about the future of their enterprises. Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed also heard their views . Finance adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam said the government was serious in curbing prices. He described various reasons for the soaring prices of essentials at the meeting and said the price hikes on the global market was one of the main reasons. "We need a joint effort to curb prices. If the government and the businessmen work together it will be easily possible," he said. Updates with more details