The government is contemplating putting a permanent ban on political gatherings at the capital’s commercial hub, Motijheel, to avoid adverse effects on the financial sector.
The matter came under consideration after the Islamist platform, Hefazat-e-Islam, violated their permit to hold a rally at the area's Shapla Chattar and tried to initiate a sit-in at the venue on Sunday.
The demonstrators also vandalised, set alight and looted a number of corporate offices, bank branches, ATM booths, shops and head offices of financial bodies in the area.
Finance minister AMA Muhith asked Banking Division Secretary Dr M Aslam Alam to prepare a proposal putting a ban on allowing political parties to host programmes at the commercial hub, a senior official of the finance division told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, requesting anonymity.
The official also added that over 50 commercial offices fell prey to Hefazat demonstrators.
A Banking Division official, also requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The proposal for initiating the ban will be drawn up and placed at the cabinet within the week.”
The authorities earlier gave permission to the Islamist platform to host its promised “peaceful” rally in the center of the Motijheel area, to press for their 13-point demand, which included capital punishment of “atheist” bloggers, a blasphemy law and a ban on “free mixing” of men and women.
However, the peaceful programme rapidly developed violent undertones with demonstrators vandalising offices in the area. The banking secretary yesterday visited the head office of the state-owned Sonali Bank, branch offices of Janata and Agrani banks near the Dhaka Stock Exchange, Janata Bhaban and the head office of Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation, which were devastated in the attacks.
Hefazat men also set alight makeshift shops on the pavements and vehicles parked under the Water Development Board building. They also damaged hotel “Gharo.”
Establishments of private commercial banks also came under attack including the NCC Bank, IFIC Bank, South-East Bank, Uttara Bank, Mutual Trust Bank, Merchant Bank, Brac Bank, Bank Asia and Eastern Bank.
Eyewitnesses said the Islamist demonstrators also vandalised the customer care centres of cellular companies Banglalink and Airtel in the area, along with National Curriculum and Textbook Board, Forestry Industrial Development Corporation, and the Sugar and Food Industry Bhaban.
In a circular Monday, the Bank and Financial Institutions Division asked the state-owned financial institutions to assess losses incurred during the Hefazat program and submit a report to the Banking Division within a day.
On May 16, 2011, the government took a similar initiative to beef up security in the area following a spate of violence around the Dhaka Stock Exchange by investors who were protesting the capital market’s instability. The home ministry also held a meeting over the plan but it was not executed for various reasons.
