BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has turned down a BGMEA request not to go for any political programme like hartal that affects the export-oriented garments sector.

She. however, told the leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) that their proposal for keeping the garments sector out of the purview of hartal would be considered in future and declined to make any announcement to this affect.

"We can't but go for tough programmes like hartal for the sake of protecting the country and its people including you the businessmen by ousting this anti-people government." Begum Zia. also leader of the op-position in Parliament told a

BGMEA delegation which called on her at her Minto Road official residence in the city. The BGMEA delegation was led by its president Mostafa Golam Quddus.

She said her party was compelled to cal) a hartal in Chittagong division on May 6 because the authorities failed to punish the killers of two party workers in Feni and continued "repression on party workers".

About a BGMEA request to spare the garment factories in Chittagong during the May 6 dawn-to-dusk hartal. Begum Zia said. "It's not possible now .. The exemption lust before a day will cause adverse reaction among the people . "

She advised the BGMEA

leaders to urge the government to create an atmosphere in which no hartal would be needed. The country can’t be saved if the government continues its misdeeds. We are unwilling to go for hartal. It is the government which is forcing us to that path. What ever we do. we do for national interests," she said.

The BNP chief advised the BGMEA leaders to urge the government to stop repression on the Opposition, arrest the "terrorists. make the parliament effective, resolve national problems and to "abandon all conspiracies against the national independence and sovereignty."

Turning to her party's cooperation to the government, she said, "We did not go for street agitation In the last 10 months. But during the period, we faced repression and obstruction in holding public meetings to highlight the government's failures and misdeeds.1'

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tacks during her public meeting in Gafargaon and said. "Had it been Awami League, it would have called a hartal Instantly. But we did not do so for national interest*." She also claimed that export of garments declined by seven per cent in the last 10 months when the country did not witness any political turmoil.

Referring to frequent power disruption, the BNP leader asked the business leaders. "How can you run your industries and expect foreign investment under such a unfavourable atmosphere?"