Business leaders decide to talk in one voice for political consensus

FBCCI board meets Tuesday, to brief media Tuesday afternoon

 

Top business leaders, led by President of Bangladesh Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, sat together on Monday and decided to talk in one voice under a common platform for the sake of the economy and political consensus.

 

“Basically, we’ve agreed to move ahead under a common platform. We’ll seek a political consensus among top political parties and we’ll go together where we should go,” President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) M Sabur Khan told UNB after the meeting.

 

He said all the business leaders agreed that there is no alternative to a political compromise and consensus. “Hartals are being enforced hurting the economy only for lack of a consensus.”

 

Former FBCCI presidents Salman F Rahman, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Mir Nasir Hossain, Annisul Huq, BGMEA president M Atiqul Islam, BKMEA president AKM Selim Osman, MCCI president Rokia Afzal Rahman, FBCCI vice president M Helal Uddin were, among others, present in the meeting that held at city’s Hotel Westin.

 

They business leaders also worked out their plan to face the fast-deteriorating political situation in the country and will share their views with the media on Tuesday afternoon.

 

Meanwhile, FBCCI director Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu said the board of directors of the FBCCI will sit in a meeting tomorrow at about 12:30pm before the press conference.

 

The FBCCI will meet the press on Tuesday at 2pm to share their stance on the current political situation. “We’ll talk about our overall situation. We don’t have any programme right now,” the FBCCI leader said.

 

Business bodies have long been urging political parties to avert confrontation and find a solution through a peaceful dialogue.

 

On Saturday, the FBCCI renewed its demand and urged the opposition parties to call off their 60-hour hartal for the sake of the economy and keeping the investment unhurt.

 

“FBCCI will welcome any initiative refraining from negative politics to reach a consensus between the ruling and opposition parties. We earnestly request the opposition to withdraw their proposed three-day hartal,” the trade body said in a statement.

 

It said investment will be impeded while economic growth to be hindered if a favourable political environment does not prevail in the country which is in no way desirable.

Source: UNB Connect