This was found in a survey conducted by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).
DCCI president M Sabur Khan came up with the shocking data at a press conference at its conference room on Wednesday.
“We talked directly to the affected people. We picked up the sectors which contribute to the GDP (gross domestic products),” Sabur Khan said while presenting the data.
The survey showed that the GDP is affected by 6.5 percent due to countrywide shutdowns and the GDP growth could be doubled if there is no hartal.
“If there’s no political violence or hartal, we can achieve a double digit GDP growth, at 12-13 percent, instead of the existing 6 to 7 percent,” he said.
The readymade garment (RMG) sector counts Tk 360 crore losses each day for hartal while the wholesale market, shopping malls, showrooms, small shops together count a loss of Tk 600 due to each hartal, it said.
The DCCI chief alleged that political demonstrations are taking place even in commercial hubs like Motijheel, halting the business activities and hurting the economy.
The country’s GDP in 2011-12 fiscal was Tk 914,780 crore and the estimated GDP for 2012-13 fiscal is Tk 978,814 crore.
DCCI senior vice president Nessar Maksud Khan, vice president Absar Karim Chowdhury, directors Osman Gani, Khairul Majid Mahmud, Haider Ahmed Khan, Abul Hossain, Osama Taseer, M Iftekharuddin (Naushad), Humayun Rashid, M Abu Hurairah, Shahidul Islam, Hossain A Sikder, Alhaj Abdus Salam and M Shoaib Choudhury were also present.
