Leaders of different district chambers yesterday voiced their identical views on immediate solution to the present stalemate saying that they are not ready to bear the brunt of the impasse that hinders the normal business activities.

They said they don't want the political parties to go for any further unrest, whatever the decision the caretaker government reaches on reconstitution of the Election Commission or on whoever the person heading this body.

They, however, hoped that the president and chief adviser of the caretaker government would resolve the impasse in a manner acceptable to all and useful to holding a free and fair election.

Talking to The Daily Star, Director of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Mohammed Amirul Haque said, "The loss we have already incurred due to the political turmoil is irreparable."

He said they are not opposed to the politicians' rights to protest something in a democratic way, but the blockade programme has reduced their right to do business smoothly.

Amirul further said the businessmen who are involved in trading of perishable goods like vegetables and shrimp fry are the worst victims to the blockade programme, which also results in sharp rise in the prices of essentials.

Echoing this view on soaring commodity prices, Anisuzzaman, vice president of the Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said," Supply of farm products from and to the divisional town is nearly stopped, resulting in frustration among the workers and businessmen and surge in commodity prices."

Meanwhile, export and import of goods through the Mongla Port in Khulna is now virtually stopped.

According to the Khulna chamber, the blockade has taken a severe toll on the trading of jute and jute products and shrimp in the region.

"We urge the political parties to avoid partisan interest in the greater interest of the nation," said Sharif M Fazlur Rahman, director of Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

He also proposed to the government to reduce the holidays from two days to one day to recover the losses the country has already incurred.

Another KCCI director, SM Nazrul Islam, said, "Even if no such stalemate takes place in near future, it will take nearly the whole next year to come out of the loss."

According to the Jessore business circle, transportation of commodities has been badly affected by the ongoing blockade programme as the district town's business activities revolve round the Benapole land port.

The farmers of this region suffer a lot as they fail to collect seeds either from a government body or private sellers.

Md Shahidul Islam Milan, president of the Jessore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), one of the main seed suppliers, also fails to distribute seeds to the farmers, though it is the peak season of paddy and wheat plantation."

"We hope a concrete solution so that we can resume our business activities as early as possible. It is not our headache who will be chief election commissioner or not," this is how Md Lutfar Rahman, president of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gave his reaction to the present political situation.

As the businessmen suffer badly due to high dollar price in the local market, the political unrest has added to the miseries of the silk producers in the district who have not been able to supply their products to different parts of the country, he added.

In Sylhet, the blockade programme has collapsed the region's transport sector.

Faruque Ahmed Misbah, president of the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "Although it is a peak time for brick and stone business in the area, the traders and workers are left idle due to the negative political programme."

The industrial units are also out of production since the supply of raw materials is cut off, he added.