Businessmen yet to devise a common strategy

Businessmen still have not devised a common strategy for next week's conference with political leaders to discuss solutions to the unrest weighing on the country's economy.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) is organising the conference of the business leaders at Osmany Memorial Hall on January 22 and 23.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia along with their senior colleagues are expected to attend the conference.

However, many business leaders said yesterday that they have not received any invitation outlining the programme schedule and the names of the speakers.

The prime minister, FBCCI president Abdul Awal Minto, commerce minister Abdul Jalil and the industries minister Tofail Ahmed are expected to address the conference on the inaugural day.

The Leader of the Opposition will speak at the concluding day. Four top BNP leaders including former finance minister M Saifur Rahman are also expected to attend the session.

The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Latifur Rahman, International Chamber of Commerce president Mahbubur Rahman, the Federation of International Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Waliur Rahman and BGMEA president Anisur Rahman Sinha will voice their views, among other business leaders.

Some of the designated speakers said they even did not know that they have been chosen to address the conference.

One of them said he had received an invitation for attending the inaugural session, "without stating that the conference was to continue for two days and that the Leader of the Opposition has also agreed to attend the conference on the second day".

"If this is to be a grand conference of the business community, then FBCCI should have consulted all the chambers and associations in the first place to know their problems and put the issues up for discussion. But it hasn't done anything to this end as yet," one frustrated chamber leader said, requesting anonymity.

He also said: "The FBCCI chief is likely to return from India only three days before the conference begins. So, it's not going to be possible to discuss all the problems facing different sectors in such a short time."

He said even the vice-president is out of the country.