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Business leaders worried, watching Mannan events

Apex bodies sit today, make public statement on the attacks on March 21

Julfikar Au Manik
Business leaders are watching with concern the wave of attacks on 11 enterprises of MA Mannan following his resignation from the ruling BNP and will take a position on the politically-scnsitivc issue after discussions at the highest business forum.
Representatives of the leading trade and business bodies however told The Daily Star yesterday their silence on the attacks and freeze on bank accounts of companies owned by the retired army major is not
because they are reluctant to register their protest but because they want to have a better grasp of the recent events before they make statements.
"We are not avoiding the matter; we are trying to come to terms with reality and then we would like to deal with the matter seriously," said Abdul Awal Mintoo, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the country's apex trade body.
"We want to look at this matter separately from other incidents.
Politicians change parties thousands of times, this is natural, but when the attacks that followed after Mannan's resignation and even freeze on his accounts, wc, the businesspeople, arc trying to measure the state of democracy here."
Mintoo added businesspeople will soon make statements on the issue and the FBCCI is scheduled to sit with other apex business bodies today to discuss and share views on the present political climate, including the attacks on Mannan's enterprises.
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FBCCI will meet on March 21 to discuss the opinions of all apex bodies that emerge from today's meeting, which it will make public through a formal statement to be issued the same day.
"We will look into the matters from a broader perspective, butour main focus will be the attacks made on Major Mannan's businesses," said Mintoo.
Although the leaders of the trade and business bodies said they would voice their opinions on the issue under the umbrella of FBCCI, they however did voice individual concerns at the attacks while talking to The Daily Star.
Sharing his personal thoughts on the attacks, Mintoo said, “I am really sad and disappointed at the attacks. I believe a person can be political or apolitical, but no organisation can ever be identified as apolitical or political."
"It issad and disappointing if an
employment-generating organisation is attacked, regardless of its reasons." Mintoo added.
Meanwhile, explaining the silence of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on the attacks on a number of Mannan's factories in Chittagong, BGMEA President Anisul Haq said, "We want to be above all sorts of politics, but politics does affect our everydaylives."
"We have noticed ... attacks on business enterprises and immediately taken the matters up with law- enforcement agencies both In Dhaka and Chittagong to protect the factories," said Anisul.
Haq added these attacks also unnerve and disturb clients, frighten businessmen and taint the image of the government. "As businessmen, we arc discussing the matters among ourselves and will voice our concerns collectively to the government to' protect the
industries from terror-mongers."
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Acting President AM Mubash-shar said, "We should've spoken about the matter before, now we (business organisations) are waiting to collectively deal with the Issue."
Mubash-shar personally denounced the attacks, which he said should never occur in the first place. "We believe these attacks are endorsed by the government since they occurred immediately after Mannan resigned from the ruling party," he added.
"The government has committed a heinous act by damaging and forcing closure of his business operations and depriving the labourers."
Speaking of today’s meeting with FBCCI, Mubash-shar said all business bodies would decide on a programme and their statement on the attacks.