Bangladesh’s apex trade body the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has demanded the release of Abdul Awal Mintoo, an adviser to Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia and a former FBCCI president.
“We are worried over his arrest. He should be set free immediately,” said Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, President, FBCCI, at a press conference on Wednesday.
“We rate Mintoo as a businessman more than anything else. He is with us in the initiative taken for a political consensus,” FBCCI Vice President Helal Uddin told bdnews24.com.
The trade body would soon issue a statement demanding Mintoo’s release, he added.
Police had detained Mintoo in the wee hours of Saturday in a surprise crackdown on the Opposition, soon after it called its Sunday-to-Tuesday 84-hour shutdown.
Mintoo was close to Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in the 1990s.
He was arrested along with politicians and other businesspersons by the army-backed caretaker regime of 2007-8 on charges of corruption.
Mintoo is also behind the peace initiative being brokered by business leaders to get the two major political alliances begin talks to end the impasse over the nature of the poll-time government.
The business leaders have met both Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia in recent days in an effort to bridge the divide.
Mintoo attended both meetings.
Source: Bd news24
