A total of 700 members are enlisted in BAJUS, and nearly 10,000 jewellery shops across the country, that are not part of the organisation, will also be closed during the strike, said BAJUS sources.
Nearly 2.8 million people are involved in jewellery trading in the country, they said.
Following the meeting, the BAJUS general secretary further said: “We also sent a memorandum to the prime minister, commerce minister and authorities concerned. All members who attended the meeting condemned these persecutory drives at jewellery outlets across Dhaka.”
He also claimed jewellery businessmen are carrying out legal business operations in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department’s Director General Dr Moinul Khan, earlier, said that when they conducted the drive at Apan Jewellers, the shop could not show legal documents and evidence of their gold and diamond businesses.
Denying any harassment of the businesses, the CIID DG said: “We never closed down any jewellery outlets; rather we suggested to Bangladesh Bank to ease regulations in importing gold for business in order for gold traders to avoid losses.”
“We also suggested introducing bids for seized smuggled gold bars, so that the bars can be used in the local market legally,” he also said.Bangladesh Jewellers Samity (BAJUS) on Thursday afternoon called for an indefinite strike, protesting the alleged harassment by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) conducting drives at different jewellery shops in Dhaka.
However, the jewellers sat down with the Customs Intelligence on Thursday evening and, following lengthy talks that ended at 10pm, they withdrew their strike.
A press release from the association said the incident at Amin Jewellers was a regular VAT checkup and the traders had misunderstood the Customs officials' intentions.
Customs Intelligence Director General Moinul Khan was present at the meeting.
Earlier, following the allegation against Apan Jewellers’ owner and his son in the much-talked about Banani rape case, the drives started across the city. VAT authorities on Thursday at noon conducted the drive at an outlet of Amin Jewellers, said BAJUS.
The organisation’s General Secretary Dillip Kumar Agarwala told Dhaka Tribune: “We started a strike from Thursday at around 5pm which will continue until these persecutory drives come to an end.”
He said the decision was made at a meeting of BAJUS, held the same day in the capital’s Baitul Mukarram Market.
Members also demanded the introduction of jewellery trading-friendly import regulations at the meeting, he added.
A total of 700 members are enlisted in BAJUS, and nearly 10,000 jewellery shops across the country, that are not part of the organisation, will also be closed during the strike, said BAJUS sources.
Nearly 2.8 million people are involved in jewellery trading in the country, they said.
Following the meeting, the BAJUS general secretary further said: “We also sent a memorandum to the prime minister, commerce minister and authorities concerned. All members who attended the meeting condemned these persecutory drives at jewellery outlets across Dhaka.”
He also claimed jewellery businessmen are carrying out legal business operations in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department’s Director General Dr Moinul Khan, earlier, said that when they conducted the drive at Apan Jewellers, the shop could not show legal documents and evidence of their gold and diamond businesses.
Denying any harassment of the businesses, the CIID DG said: “We never closed down any jewellery outlets; rather we suggested to Bangladesh Bank to ease regulations in importing gold for business in order for gold traders to avoid losses.”
“We also suggested introducing bids for seized smuggled gold bars, so that the bars can be used in the local market legally,” he also said.
A total of 700 members are enlisted in BAJUS, and nearly 10,000 jewellery shops across the country, that are not part of the organisation, will also be closed during the strike, said BAJUS sources.
Nearly 2.8 million people are involved in jewellery trading in the country, they said.
Following the meeting, the BAJUS general secretary further said: “We also sent a memorandum to the prime minister, commerce minister and authorities concerned. All members who attended the meeting condemned these persecutory drives at jewellery outlets across Dhaka.”
He also claimed jewellery businessmen are carrying out legal business operations in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department’s Director General Dr Moinul Khan, earlier, said that when they conducted the drive at Apan Jewellers, the shop could not show legal documents and evidence of their gold and diamond businesses.
Denying any harassment of the businesses, the CIID DG said: “We never closed down any jewellery outlets; rather we suggested to Bangladesh Bank to ease regulations in importing gold for business in order for gold traders to avoid losses.”
“We also suggested introducing bids for seized smuggled gold bars, so that the bars can be used in the local market legally,” he also said.