The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) on Friday asked BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami to withdraw their general strikes for three straight days to help claw back losses due to recent unrests.BNP announced countrywide shutdown for Tuesday a day after Jamaat-e-Islami declared two-day strike in protest at the International Crimes Tribunal’s verdict to hang its leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee for perpetrating war crimes in 1971.
The top trade body issued a media statement in the evening asking Jamaat to recall its strike.
“Hartal has been called for 48 hours on Mar 3 and 4 at a time when we were struggling to recover losses due to unrest and unstable situation following hartals over the last few days,” read the statement.
“FBCCI strongly demand that the strike is withdrawn without delay.”
After the BNP announcement came, FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed told bdnews24.com: “We are against all hartals. We are urging the opposition for withdrawing hartal.”
Since Thursday afternoon, after the ICT delivered its verdict, Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir ran amok across the country, clashing with police and pro-government political wings that left at least 35 dead.
Jamaat called its shutdown immediately after the verdict was pronounced.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a press briefing on Friday termed the incidents ‘genocide’, and announced a dawn-to-dusk strike for Tuesday.
“FBCCI reminds all that ‘suicidal’ activities like hartal and blockade are pushing the country’s economy to a disaster, which we do not expect to take place,” read the statement.
It asked the government for taking stricter measures to prevent ‘violence’ and ‘unrest’ for the sake of development of the nation and security of the people.
“The country’s business community does not support any programme for creating political violence and unrests over a sub-judice matter.”
The statement feared the situation may discourage foreign investors, erode economic growth and income of individuals.
The premier business lobby condoled the casualties from recent violence across the country.
(Source:bdnews24.com)
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