Staff Reporter :
Leaders of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has claimed that country’s businessmen have suffered around Tk 17,000 crore losses for the hartals and non-stop blockade in last two weeks called by BNP-led 20 party allience.
CCCI President Mahabubul Alam disclosed this at a views exchange meeting held in the Chamber’s Auditorium in Chittagong on Sunday.
“We suffered around Tk 17,000 crore losses due to hartals and blockades this year. The amount of the loss would be enlarged further if the blockade continues,” CCCI President Mahabubul Alam said.
He said also said that all the major arteries of the economy, specially the export sectors, have been shattered due to the renewed political turmoil that has been prevailing for the last 13 days.
Expressing concern over the political violence, Mahabubul Alam said, “We never expect such ‘irresponsible behaviour’ from the allience when the businesses were trying to bring the country’s trade and commerce on the track.
“We suffered huge losses due to a total of 62 hartals and blockades from January 1 to December 21 in 2013. When the businessmen were trying to recover their losses taking the advantage of a relative political clam prevailed last year, a similar situation back again leading us to further destitute,” he said.
Decrying immediate steps to put a brake on the restrictive politics, he urged, the rival political parties to come out for a solution for bringing an end to the current political impasse. “Otherwise, the national economy would suffer irrecoverable losses if the ongoing blockade continues,” he warned.
“The apparel industry is the top victim of the ongoing political unrest,” Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Vice-President Nasir Uddin Chowdhury said while speaking at the meeting.
He added: The political turmoil has caused apparel exporters to count losses of over Tk 500 crore in the last 13 days.
Apprehending that the loss would be huge if the blockade continues for long, he demands that the RMG sector should be kept out of the purview of the political programmes like blockade and hartal.
“You do politics and we try to keep the economy running. Keep our industry out of the purview of all political programmes,” Chowdhury added.
Chittagong Range DIG of Police Md. Shafikul Islam, CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mondal, Chittagong District Commissioner Md. Mejbah Uddin and Chittagong Police Superintendent Md. AKM Hafiz Akhter, representatives of RAB, BGB, Fire Service, BGMEA, Dokan Malik Samity, Paribahan Samity and different government offices, among others, were present at the meeting.
