FBBCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed alleged that most of the electoral pledges made by the successive governments for the business sector have remained unmet.
While addressing a meeting yesterday in Dhaka, the business leader said Bangladesh has the potential to become the next business hub of the global investors, but political instability puts the chance at risk.
At the meeting, the businessmen urged the political parties to make it clear what facilities they would provide for the development of businesses if they are elected to power.
“Do a study on the state of fulfilling election manifestos for the business sector. You will see most of them have lied unattended,” said the chief of the country’s apex trade body.
International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) organised the meeting on the upcoming election manifestos of political parties.
With IBFB President Hafizur Rahman Khan in the chair, the meeting urged the parties to make it clear in their electoral manifestos what they would do for the development of the country’s business environment and economy.
IBFB plans to prepare joint proposals to the political parties ahead of national elections, said the Forum’s President Hafizur Rahman Khan. “We will urge the parties to consider the proposals to include in the manifestos,” he said.
Jahangirnagar University’s Professor of Public Administration Dr M Abul Kashem Mozumder presented a concept paper.
IBFB’s founder president Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury moderated the meeting.
In his paper, Dr Mozumder suggested making both short and long-term plans in the election promises.
He said the parties should adopt long-term plans to establish a deep sea port, diversify exports, connect with the Asian Highway, improve rail and water transport systems, build express way across the country, introduce Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ)and Export Processing Zones (EPZ) in regional level, launch technical educational institutions and expand labour-intensive, SME and agro-based industries with the increased women’s participation.
“The politicians lead the country and have to realise that the responsibility of developing business sector lies with them,” said Monjurul Hoque, a director of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Former commerce secretary Sohel Choudhury stressed the need of expanding export sector to achieve GDP growth at 8%.
IBFB director Prity Chakraborty made a call to the political parties to shun the path of violence for the sake of economy.
“We don’t want to see any political violenceso businessescan be run smoothly,” she said.
