Export may be badly affected

A top businessman yesterday said the recent terror attack on a Dhaka café could potentially shake two major pillars – remittance and export of Bangladesh.

“Buyers are much happier to come to Bangladesh…but the Gulshan attack can change that…I won't say will change,” said President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) Syed Nasim Manzur while speaking at a seminar in the capital.

Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) arranged the seminar styled “Recent Extremist Violence in Bangladesh: Response Options”, attended by ministers, top civil and military bureaucrats, foreign diplomats, top officials of law enforcing agencies, educationists, security experts and others concerned.

The business leader said the local businesses, especially the shopping malls are badly hit due to a “fear factor” while restaurants and cafés have very low customers. Nasim Manzur mentioned that hotels have suffered a massive occupancy drop and there is a possible increase in illegal capital flight following the current situation. He also described how fear factors can contribute to potential delays and cost increase in large scale infrastructure projects. He mentioned that his company had employed three Italians before July 1 but they are not coming back to Bangladesh.

“Any loss of confidence in the security environment and state security apparatus could be potentially damaging for attracting investment and gaining access to markets,” he observed.