Businesses go to HC for remedy

Four leading business bodies yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its direction on the government to impose reasonable restrictions on hartals and blockade in an attempt to save business from financial loss.

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Textiles Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association collectively submitted the petition.

In the petition, they requested to the HC to order the government and political parties to compensate for the losses incurred, petitioners' lawyer Imtiaz Moinul Islam told The Daily Star.

They said the government could compensate by extending the duration of loan payment to 12 years as their business activities were being greatly hampered.

Businesses concerned usually repay their loans in three to four years.

They urged the court to ask the government to waive interest on their bank loans, saying that they suffered immense losses due to the ongoing hartals and blockade. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told parliament on Wednesday that the country had incurred a loss of over Tk 1,20,000 crore in the first 52 days of the BNP-Jamaat's blockade.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman started hearing the petition yesterday. Later, it fixed today for further hearing, Assistant Attorney General Jahangir Alam said.