Despite fulfilling their VAT and tax obligations, Bangladeshi businesses are operating under what they describe as an “alarming and fear-inducing” environment, businessmen said during a roundtable discussion organised by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) on Wednesday.
The event, titled “The Necessity of Maintaining Law and Order to Facilitate Trade and Commerce”, brought together representatives from both the public and private sectors, including law enforcement officials, to discuss ongoing challenges facing the business community.
Speakers expressed concern that the law and order situation has not improved as expected following recent political shifts in the country.
Golam Mawla, President of the Bangladesh Edible Oil Traders Association, highlighted rising costs in business operations, particularly when importing goods via land ports. He claimed that businesses are being forced to rely on middlemen to hire trucks, inflating expenses significantly.
Mawla also pointed out traffic congestion around the Babubazar Bridge caused by unregulated truck stands in the Moulvibazar area, which he said disrupts commercial activities. To enhance security, especially for businesses handling large volumes of cash, he called for increased evening police patrols in Lalbagh, Kotwali, and Chawkbazar.
Business leaders collectively urged the government and law enforcement agencies to prioritize improving the law and order situation to foster a stable, secure environment for commerce. They emphasized that sustainable economic growth is not possible without addressing these systemic issues.
Addressing the event, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed urged the government to ensure a conducive environment for operating business in a smooth, transparent and secured manner.
“While every citizen has the right to exercise their democratic freedoms, but it is also equally important to uphold the rights of the business owners to conduct their business without disruption,” he noted.
Therefore, considering the difficult geo-economic situation, he urged all concerned to remain vigil so that the day-to-day activities of the people are not disrupted along with conducting business operations.
For an improved law and order situation, he recommended for more community policing, fast-track response centres to tackle extortion and fraud, special mobile teams for night time patrolling on the highways to secure goods transportation and coordination among all the law enforcement agencies.
Other prominent speakers included Haji Md. Abul Hashem, President of the Bangladesh Sugar Traders Association; Haji Syed Mohammad Bashir Uddin of the Moulvibazar Business Association; Nesar Uddin Khan, Senior Vice-President of the Pulse Traders Association; Haji Foyez Uddin, Vice-President of the Monihari Traders Association; Lutfur Rahman Babu, President of the Mohammadpur Town Hall Kitchen Market Traders Association; and Mohammad Nazrul Islam, President of the Dhamrai Brickfield Owners Association.
DCCI Director Enamul Haque Patwari, former DCCI Senior Vice-President Abdus Salam, and Motijheel Police Inspector (Investigation) Md. Mahaymenul Islam also spoke at the event chaied by Taskeen Ahmed.