Business leaders in an emergency meeting on Saturday, January 6 renewed their appeal to major political parties to sit for dialogue to resolve the political impasse for the sake of the country as a whole and economy in particular. They said that ongoing political unrest is badly affecting exports which will have long term effect on the industrial and export growth.

The meeting, presided over by the President of ICC Bangladesh Mahbubur Rahman, was also attended by President of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) SM Fazlul Haque, President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Fazlul Haq, President of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) AK Azad, President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Hossain Khaled, President of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Abdul Hai Sarker, President of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries SM Shafiuzzaman. After the meeting held at the BKMEA office in Dhaka, they briefed the Press formally.

Urging the leaders of two major political alliances to sit together and resolve the ongoing political turmoil, ICCB President said, “we believe in democracy, everything is to be solved through formal dialogues.”

ICCB President also said, “It will be the best for the nation to hold the general elections where all political parties participate.”

“The country will fall into a long-term crisis, if the caretaker government failed to resolve the political predicament and the general elections were held without the participation of all major parties,” Annisul Huq, former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said.

The leaders also expressed their concern about further political unrest, which may begin as the Mega Alliance called Country-wide blockade from January 7.

The business leaders also said that the country’s overall internal and external business, especially export-oriented industries have been experiencing losses since the last few months due to the political stalemate.

Citing the fall in exports, the BGMEA president S. M. Fazlul Haque said, “Apparel exports have fallen to $663 million in October of the current fiscal year from $907 million in August due to the political unrest.”

He also urged the president and chief adviser of caretaker government to save the apparel industry by taking immediate steps to resolve the political crisis.

Replying to a question by the journalists about FBCCI stance on the state of emergency, ICCB President said, “We are yet to know about the FBCCI stance on the state of emergency.”

The leaders said, “We are very concerned about the ongoing political situation. But at this moment we are not endorsing the FBCCI stance”. They hoped that the caretaker government will take constructive and neutral moves to resolve the political crisis.