SM Mizanur Rahman :
Political violence pushed the country’s education, agriculture business and transport sectors on the verge of collapse in the last 44 days.
“All vital sectors are on the verge of ruination,” an expert told The New Nation on Tuesday.
AB Mirza Azizul Islam, a former finance adviser to caretaker government, Hossain Khaled, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and Giausuddin Mollah, professor of political science of Dhaka University said all vital sectors are facing a crunch because of the unstable political events.
“The government has set a growth target of 7.3 percent for fiscal 2014-15. But I’m worried it wouldn’t be possible to achieve the target. We will be lucky if the growth rate is 5.50,” AB Mirza Azizul said.
Political violence and instability would not help the government to meet the target, he opined. “When a vital sector like transport remains halted, all sorts of business and trading also come to a halt. Actually we are passing through a critical juncture. And more odd days are ahead of us,” Mirza Azizul said.
Replying to a query he said both the ruling Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party are not paying heed to the people and call from different professional bodies to end the violence.
“The country and its people are set to face a serious disaster,” he said.
“The transport sector is facing the crunch…during agitations it is seen that it becomes the main target of pickets,” he said.
AB Mirza Azizul said as the capital remained virtually isolated from the rest of the country in the last 44 days, all vital sectors of the economy are experiencing hard days.
DCCI president Hossain Khaled said the country has incurred economic losses so far to the turn of Taka 88,000 crore during the 44 days blockade and hartal.
“The economy is incurring daily losses of Taka 2,277.86 crore,” he said
It would stand at Taka 2,500 crore if the loss is calculated taking into cognizance the 25 percent of total industrial production loss,” he added
Hartals and blockade are also seriously affecting the SSC (Secondary School Certificate) and equivalent, exams, he said.
“Besides, students of primary schools, high schools, colleges and universities are failing to attend their respective educational institutions or take part in regular examinations,” Giausuddin Mollah said..
