Amid the crippling blockade and worsening political violence, the country’s top business leaders met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tonight (Monday night) and shared their concern over the political instability that has cast a shadow on the economy, especially the readymade garment industry.
The business leaders entered the Prime Minister’s official residence at about 7pm and started the meeting with the premier at about 8:5pm that lasted for over an hour, Gonobhaban sources said.
The business leaders also handed over a memorandum to the Prime Minister seeking an amicable solution to the current political crisis, meeting sources said.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) M Atiqul Islam, former BGMEA presidents, representatives from the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Textiles Mills Association (BTMA), Dhaka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and other trade and chamber bodies were present at the meeting.
After the meeting with the Prime Minister, the business leaders were on their way to the Gulshan residence of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to meet her, FBCCI vice president M Helal Uddin told UNB.
Earlier, around 300 businessmen brought out a procession from the Karwan Bazar office of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) around 6:00pm.
But, police stopped the garment owners at Farmgate and allowed only a team of 20 to go to Ganobhaban.
Earlier in the afternoon, the BGMEA leaders in an emergency meeting decided to meet the two top leaders to request them for reaching a solution to end the current political violence.
FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, BTMA President Jahangir Alamin, BKMEA acting President M Hatem, Standard Group Chairman Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, former BGMEA presidents – Abdus Salam Murshedy, M Shafiul Islam, Annisul Huq and DCCI President M Sabur Khan, among others, were present.
On Sunday, top business leaders sent out a strong message for the two top leaders — Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia — and urged them to stop violence immediately giving space for smooth functioning of the country’s economy.
“We can’t be helpless witnesses to the gradual destruction of the sector (RMG). You (Hasina-Khaleda) can do politically whatever you like, but nobody has the right to destroy the RMG sector. The RMG sector is our pride,” President FBCCI Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed told reporters at a joint press conference at BGMEA on the day.
BGMEA President M Atiqul Islam also urged the two top leaders to stop violence. “We call upon the two leaders (Hasina-Khaleda) to stop (political) violence. The RMG sector can’t be the victim of your politics… we want security… we want to do business smoothly,” he said.
Source: UNB Connect
