Business confce suffers early jolts

The two-day Businessmen's Conference starting January 22 has suffered an initial setback as the FBCCI has been forced to shift the concluding session to January 24 because the opposition parties have planned public rallies on January 23.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry will also have a sense of defeat half way though the conference because of the opposition plan to call countrywide hartal from the January 23 public rallies, the day before the concluding session.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with her senior cabinet colleagues are expected to be present on the first day of the grand conference at Osmani Memorial Hall. BNP Chairperson and leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia was scheduled to attend the conference the following day.

Meanwhile, frustration runs high in the business community over the arrangements for the conference.

Talking to The Daily Star, many chamber leaders said that they were still not aware that they had been chosen as speakers at the conference.

BGMEA President Anisur Rahman Sinha said that he was doubtful whether the conference would help settle the garments industry's problems which needed special attention.

FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintoo is expected to return home from India this evening.

FBCCI Vice-President MA Mumin, convenor of three committees responsible for conference organisation, publicity and entertainment, was also out of the country with Mintoo.

Meanwhile, presidents of DCCI, MCCI, BCI and BGMEA are expected to hold a closed-door meeting at DCCI office today to decide a common strategy to convince the politicians to shun confrontational politics.

On the concluding day, BGMEA President Anisur Rahman Sinha, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) President Latifur Rahman, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) President Mahbubur Rahman and Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) President Waliur Rahman are expected to speak.

Opposition leader Khaleda Zia is scheduled to make statements along with M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam and MK Anwar.