Business leaders on Wednesday said that trade bodies needed to work properly to meet demands of all businesses of the country, regardless of their political identities.
In a views exchange meeting at a hotel in the capital Dhaka, they said that all the trade bodies became politicised during the past 15 years, due to which general businesses were deprived of services they needed from these trade organisations.
The meeting on the day was organised by the business community to discuss the current general business and trade situation of the country and future issues.
Abdul Awal Mintoo, former Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries president, said that every business organisation must work to achieve the purpose for which it was established.
They will not be allowed to work for only a handful of people in the future, he said.
鈥楩orget who supports which political party. If anyone holds a position in a trade body, then point out the problems in the business sectors,鈥� he added.
Mintoo also said that if a position holder in a trade body failed to perform his or her necessary duty, that person should resign from the post concerned.
鈥業nvestments have been going down for three years in the country. Inflation is continuously rising. Savings of people in the country have decreased. Investments do not come when savings are reduced. Without investment, there will be no employment,鈥� he further said.
鈥楾o overcome the current situation and to develop both the society and economy, we need a democratic government established through free and fair elections,鈥� he added.
Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Pharmaceuticals, said, 鈥楾he revolution that the protesters brought must be protected. For which we need a total reformation in all the sectors of the country, including the business sectors.鈥�
Many of the business leaders present at the meeting wanted total change in the trade bodies for the sake of reforming the structure while giving their speeches.
Mahbubur Rahman, president of the International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh, presided over the meeting.
He said that the business community had observed hostile trade body takeovers in the past years.
鈥楩or the trade bodies to work properly, we need to be unified regardless of any political identity and work towards the progress of economic betterment and the betterment of business environment in the country,鈥� he said.
Abul Kalam Azad, chairperson of Ha-Meem Group, among others, was present in the programme.