Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Traders at Khatungonj in Chittagong had to count huge losses from the last four days of hartal as their business transaction went down to near zero during the period.
Khatungonj is the country’s largest wholesale commodity market and about 70 to 80 per cent of food grain import and trading are routed across the country through the market.
“Our business activities virtually came to a halt during hartals as transportation of goods to and from the wholesale commodity markets of Khatungonj was seriously disrupted during the period,” Md Syed Sagir Ahmed, Secretary General of Khatungonj Trade and Industries told The New Nation yesterday.
There was almost no business in the market during the last four days (Thursday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday) whereas the market witnesses an average business transaction of Tk 12,000 crore in any normal weekday. “But, it came down to Tk 200 to Tk 300 crore during hartal day, causing huge loss to businesses in the market, he said”.
Sagir Ahmed further said both wholesale and retail business suffered much this week as frequent hartal prevented the regular buyers to take delivery of goods from us out of fear.
Besides, truck, covered van and lorries stopped their operation fearing vandalism and arson attack by unruly pickets during hartal virtually cutting the port city from other parts of the country.
Expressing his strong resentment over hartal, he said, “We the business community do not want hartal as it take huge toll on our trade and business as well as on the economy. It also tarnishes image of the country”. “We always asked the political parties to find alternative of hartal considering its negative impact on the economy, but, they did not pay heed to us and continues their destructive political progaramme keeping hostage of the businessmen as well people of the country,” he said.
As they (political parties) are unwilling to come out from such political programme, he suggested the government to enact a law banning the hartal politics. “The business community will give full support to the government if it comes forward to enact such a law,” he added.
Sagir Ahmed observed that Bangladesh is showing the favourable signs of sustainable economic development in the recent years with average 6.0 per cent GDP growth. “It needs to restore a stable political environment to achieve an inclusive growth of over 7.0 per cent to become middle income one by 2021. “Both the import and export trade, wholesale and retail business and industrial production in the port city have faced serious disruption in the latest spell of hartal,” said Mahbubul Alam, President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
He also said containers loaded with cargos could not be transported to and from Chittagong port due to lack of transports leading to supply line disruption of all commodities and industrial raw materials. “Such a disruption refrained the traders and manufacturers from marketing their finished products, causing huge loss to them,” he added.
Mahbubul Alam also the President of Khatungonj Trade and Industries said, “Our business has suffered heavy loss from the prolonged political unrest during the second half of 2013 when at least 55 days of shutdown and blockade were enforced by BNP and its allies. Since the January 5 election, BNP has stopped street protest giving us a chance to rebound our business. “But the verdicts of war criminals have once again triggered political unrest and it might hinder our business prospect afresh,” he said. “We are apprehending further hartal in the days to come as more verdicts of war criminals are in the offing. If so, it would lead us to near bankruptcy,” he noted.
Expressing sheer frustration over the repeated hartal call by Jamaat, Alam urged the party concerned to shun the path of hartal politics to keep the economy moving and uphold the image of the country.
“We need political stability to run our business activities peacefully. So, all the parties should work together to ensure a congenial business and investment climate to help sustainable development of the country,” he added.
