Two influential ministers of the government yesterday blasted the country's apex trade body, FBCCI, for their stance on enacting law to ban hartal.
“Why are you giving such provocative statements?” asked Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui at the inaugural session of the three-day Batexpo 2010 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
He asked the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) why they want to ban hartal through enacting a law.
“You FBCCI members have not come from the sky… you can show non-cooperation to hartal,” Latif Siddiqui said.
He said there is nothing called hard or soft action of law against anarchy or troublemakers during hartal. “Action should be taken in line with the law, that's all.”
Siddiqui said that generally hartal is imposed to protect the interests of the mass people. “But the BNP-sponsored hartal is just for protecting one person's interest.”
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said banning hartal through enacting law would be a move designed to snatch the fundamental rights of people.
He, however, said the existing law should be implemented strongly against the anarchy-makers.
On Wednesday, FBCCI President AK Azad at a programme at the FBCCI conference room said they wanted to propose the parliament to pass a law banning hartal.
Opposition BNP called for a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on November 30.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Labour and Employment Minister Engr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Commerce Minister Faruk Khan were present at the function.