Staff Reporter :Readymade garment (RMG) owners and exporters observed a daylong token hunger strike on Saturday in front of the BGMEA headquarters in the city from 11am till 6pm demanding an immediate end to the ongoing political turmoil. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) jointly organised the programme.A blast near the rally around 12:25pm created tension among the demonstrators. Two people suffered minor injuries in the blast and they were given first aid. The police, however, took special security measures to ensure safety of the protesters. Businessmen demanded the arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved in the attack describing the act as ‘attack on the entire business community.'”We strongly condemn it. We think it’s an attack on the entire business community,” President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) M Atiqul Islam said after the crude bomb blast.Later, the BGMEA in a statement said they along with Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) condemn the attack.”Blasting a crude bomb during a peaceful programme is a direct attack on the readymade garment export industry and the country’s trade and commerce,” said the statement.The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Bangladesh Employers Federation, Bangladesh Association of Banks, Bangladesh Insurance Association, Bangladesh Covered Van Truck Owners Association, Bangladesh Bus, Truck Owners Association, Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association, Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association, Bangladesh Cotton Association, Exporters Association of Bangladesh and other chambers and associations denounced the incident. In a separate statement, the FBCCI said they are deeply concerned over the attack that left two people injured. “We strongly condemn the attack.”Meanwhile, the speakers at the strike programme there said workers, along with the businessmen, would starve if the ongoing violence continued.They also threatened that the owners and workers of RMG factories would take position on the streets if the violence does not stop immediately.Pointing finger to the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance, which is enforcing a blockade from Jan 5, the speakers said they too had the right not to support the blockade and shutdowns.They demanded security and compensation for any loss of lives and properties from the government.”The programme organised to put pressure on the political parties,” BGMEA president Atiqul Islam said. He said the countrywide transport blockade and hartals are taking toll on businesses, especially in RMG sector and the owners are counting a huge loss.Former BGMEA chief Abdus Salam Murshedy said the foreign buyers were frequently asking when the situation would calm down.Dhaka Metropolitan Shop Owners Association President Taufik Ehsan said 2.5 million shop owners and 7.5 million workers would announce stronger agitations if the violence did not stop within a week.BGMEA President Atiqul Islam, former FBCCI chief AK Azad, former DCCI President Asif Ibrahim joined the sit-in protests.According to the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex trade body, RMG sector has suffered a loss of Tk 300 billion in one month since January 6.
