The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

Trade leaders for the first time formally vowed to establish their rights of doing undisturbed business and asked the political forces to shun anarchy and destruction in the name of politics.

The leaders urged the politicians to make the parliament a focal point of all activities.

They said that the voice of the trade communities would have to be heard with due attention and priority because they have been sourcing the lion's share of the state expenses in the forms of tax and duty.

They were addressing a grand conference of merchants and traders of Chittagong and Sylhet Divisions at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in the city yesterday.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCC&I) jointly hosted the conference.

President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCC&I) Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed chaired the conference where President of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Annisul Haque made deliberation as the chief guest.

The conference also put forward a 13-point proposal for the upcoming regime drawn in the interest of sustainable socioeconomic development and in improvement of the business environment in the country.

Introduction of federal system of governance, office of ombudsman, public-private partnership, corruption checking, empowerment of local trade and decision-giving agencies, development of co-ordination cell for all regions, empowerment of anti-corruption commission, slashing the interest rate at the private and public banks, scrapping PSI system and slashing import duty were among the proposals.

Nearly two dozen leading entrepreneurs of Chittagong, Dhaka and Sylhet addressed the conference highlighting the issues of micro and macro economic realities apart from sliding trade and commerce due to economic recessions in the western nations in recent months.

Senior Vice-President of the CCC&I MA Latif, president of SCC&I Junnun Mahmood Khan, Vice-President of FBCCI Abu Alam Chowdhury, 1st vice-president of FBCCI Abul Quashem Ahmed, vice-president of CCC&I Mahbub Alam, former president of CCC&I Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, BGMEA leaders MA Salam, Mahbub Ali, MA Maleq, Akhtar Hossain, Abdul Matlub Ahmed, Khalilur Rahman and Gazi Dastagir were among the speakers.

FBCCI president Annisul Haque said that the nation had been passing through a critical time after the liberation war.

He said that trading communities had been worried over the post-election reaction of the political parties apart from reversing the existing import, export, monetary, tax and trade policies.

The FBCCI leader cautioned that the national economy would suffer a serious setback if the politics reverts to its old style and gets on the streets over election results. "Well planned strategy and collective efforts can be the only weapons to better tackle the bad time and let the nation to take a smoother transition to democracy," he said urging all concerned to play reciprocal roles in this regard.

Expressing disappointment over the deliberate negligence to the industrialists by the successive governments, he said that none of them had formulated a national policy for the sick industries which became sick because of the economic fluctuations prompted by political instability.

He urged the next elected government to take up coal exploration project on priority basis and outline optimisation of the resources.

Regarding Chittagong port, the FBCCI president said that the port's operation had been streamlined over the last two years and the trade community would love to see the port's uninterrupted operation even during the regime of the political forces.

He demanded shifting of weekend to Sunday instead of Friday. He said that the existing weekend had been creating problems for the local business people.

Former President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mir Nasir Hossain said that the traders had always been the inner wheel of the economy and inseparable part of politics.

"Economy-driven politics helps sustainable development and social tranquillity while mismatch to this can lead a nation to total mess," he commented and urged the future caretakers of the state to concentrate more on economic issues and create congenial environment for trade and commerce.

He demanded insertion of common policy matters and specific development programmes in the election manifesto of the political parties so that the people could better exercise their rights of voting.

Former President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abdul Awal Mintoo claimed that the merchants and traders had been running the country, not the politicians.

"We've every right to do politics and comment over the good and bad impacts of the political activities as our money runs the state," he justified his involvement in politics and aspiration for mayoral office of Dhaka City Corporation.

President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCC&I) Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed said that the traders are not opposed to the politicians. "We want to work together," he said and urged the politicians to be friendly to the business people.