Crime spurt adds to businesses’ worries

Business leaders Friday expressed their grave concern over the fast deterioration of law and order, especially in the country’s commercial areas, in recent weeks, saying it will aggravate the economic downturn amid global recession.
Terrorists killed one garment entrepreneur and four others in Dhaka and its adjoining areas, mugged and injured many others in the past week, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police sources.
Annisul Huq, president of the country’s apex chamber body, told the FE: “We are really seriously concerned by the growing lawlessness in the city, particularly in commercial areas.”
Business leaders, however, hinted they will work with leading chambers and associations to fight off the growing crimes in the city and other parts of country.
“We all major chambers including the FBCCI will sit shortly on the issue and prepare a set of recommendations for the government to combat the lawlessness,” said Md Shahedul Islam, president of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI).
They claimed that they were receiving frequent phone calls to pay tolls to the extortionists in different areas in the city.
“Our members are informing us everyday that they were receiving phone calls to pay tolls,” BCI chief added.
Abdus Salam Murshedy, BGMEA president, said dozens of garment owners in the city have informed the BGMEA and the police stations about threats from extortionists.
“My fellow members, numbering around 30, have complained about receiving extortion and death threats,” BGMEA chief added.
Annisul Huq said the law enforcing agencies, including the RAB, should be empowered adequately to curb the growing number of crimes and incidences in the city’s business areas.
“I personally think that RAB should be allowed to exercise its previous power to handle the increasing number of incidences,” chief of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Annisul added.
Business leaders, however, pleaded for immediate deployment of law enforcing agencies at the country’s major business hubs to ensure smooth business operations.
Shahedul Islam said: “We want the government to deploy police and RAB forces at the major business hubs as frequent crimes, extortion threats, and so on are creating disruption in the business operation.”
He also said the government should intensify intelligence activities in major industrial belts of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Chittagong.
Zafar Osman, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) said it is issuing letters to its members urging them to submit incidences of threats, extortion and other crimes involving their respective enterprises.
Chief of the premier chamber body also said: “We will meet the Home Minister shortly to apprise him of the increasing number of crimes in the business areas and take action,” they said, they can hardly run businesses smoothly following speedy deterioraiton of law and order situatuion.
Business leaders, recently, in a pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister AMA Muhith requested to take actions against the criminals.
Admitting the deterioration of law and order, Muhith Wednesday told the reporters that he would ask the concerned ministry to take immediate actions.

Courtesy of The The Financial Express