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The country's apex trade body announced a number of demands including discontinuation of 'hartals' by the political parties, proper investigation into all bombs and grenade attacks, ensuring good governance and rooting out corruption from the society to facilitate unhindered continuation of trade and economic activities.
Other demands of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) include organisation of a referendum and enactment of laws against hartals, making the parliament and the anti-grab commission more effective, an immediate solution of all national problems though fruitful dialogues among the political parties and stopping mass arrests before hartals.
Besides, the FBCCI also demanded for exemption of interest on bank-loans and other utility bills like electricity and gas for the hartal days
The demands emerged out of deliberations and views that were expressed at a discussion meeting on the country's prevailing situation at the FBCCI's conference room in the city.
The FBCCI, however, would go for tougher agitations including holding of big rallies in future against hartals (general strikes).
Presided over by FBCCI President Abdul Awal Mintoo, heads of the Federation's member organisations - chambers and associations - participated in the discussion.
Terming the frequent hartals and the confrontational politics as the major barriers to the private-sector businesses, the BFCCI chief laid emphasis on ensuring a congenial environment for boosting trade and investment in the country.
To avoid hartals and other political rallies in the country, the meeting suggested that opposition political parties should be allowed to express their opinions on state-run television for one hour a week.
The business leaders also assured the country's political parties of their necessary cooperation and assistance to find out the remedies to the on-going political problems through dialogues.
The FBCCI president also requested the representatives of the local construction industry to resume their works that have remaining suspended following a significant rise in the price-hike of MS (mild steel) rods in recent days.
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