Thousands of business leaders in Bangladesh have staged a protest against a politically-motivated transport blockade that has reportedly cost the country USD 10 billion in lost revenue.
Garment factory owners and other business leaders rallied in the capital city of Dhaka and other major cities on Sunday, demanding an end to the ongoing strikes and nationwide transport blockade.
“We’ve seen with great concern that non-stop blockade and strikes since the beginning of the year have crippled the economy,” said Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, the president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
He demanded that the government compensate businesses for the losses, which he estimates to be nearly at USD 10 billion since January 5.
Back then, the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, called for a nationwide transport blockade as part of efforts to overthrow the government of incumbent Premier Sheikh Hasina and pave the way for new elections.
Bangladeshi authorities have recently put more pressure on 69-year-old Zia, who has been confined in her office at the opposition headquarters in Dhaka since January 3.
Since the start of the blockade, at least 63 people have died and a large number of cars and buses have been set ablaze or damaged. Several trains have been also derailed.
Hasina, who was re-elected in the January 2014 polls, has warned Zia of “dire consequences” if such incidents carry on. The election had been boycotted by the opposition in the country.
GMA/HJL/SS
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