Dhaka May 2 (bdnews24.com) — Bangladesh's top business leaders held a meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss what a participant said the situation in the wake of a series of general strikes that crippled trade and life across the country.
"We've sat to discuss the country's current political situation. We'll sit again," a former chief of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries told bdnews24.com after the closed-door meeting at the Westin Hotel in Dhaka.
bdnews24.com's chief economics correspondent Abdur Rahim Harmachi present in the lobby of the hotel at Gulshan saw the business leaders walk into a room beside the lobby around 6:15pm. The meeting lasted over an hour.
Harmachi saw former FBCCI presidents Anisul Huq and Mahbubur Rahman, and former administrator Syed Manzur Elahi leaving the room.
Current chief A K Azad of the apex trade body, and former presidents Mir Nasir Hossain and Kazi Akram Hossain left afterwards.
Former FBCCI presidents Salman F Rahman and Abul Kashem were the last ones to leave the room.
Asked about the agenda of the meeting, Mahbubur said, "Please don't write on the issue now… [if you do], our initiative would go in vain. We'll give you [the journalists] the details at an appropriate time."
In reply to a query on the 'initiatives' mentioned by Mahbubur Rahman, Salman said current FBCCI chief Azad had been given the responsibility to sit with other business leaders and inform the former leaders of steps that the business community should take in view of the situation arising out of frequent shutdowns.
"Then we'll take the next step," he added.
Salman said they would decide on the 'next step' after holding further discussions. "Nothing can be said now."
Top businessmen said another such meeting had taken place on Apr 28. One of them, seeking anonymity, said former FBCCI chiefs Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu and Abdul Awal Mintoo were also present at the last meeting.
"We had met earlier to discuss the current political situation. The meeting had been held at Sonargaon Hotel," he said.
"It's actually a step taken by the former FBCCI chiefs. Our main goal is to do something good for the country by including current business leaders with it (the initiative)," he added.
Another businessman seeking anonymity told bdnews24.com that hartal was hurting the country's economy severely. "We can't sit idle in this situation ... we may take greater steps to safeguard the country's economy."
FBCCI calls emergency meeting
The apex trade body has called an emergency meeting on Thursday. The meeting will be held at its Motijheel office at noon.
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