The Bangladeshi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said on Thursday in Dhaka, that an indefinite transport blockade called by the Bangladeshi opposition was taking a heavy toll on businesses.
Hossain Khaled, President of the Chamber, said the losses amount to nearly 4.7 billion dollars in 16 major business sectors in the country.
He said an estimate by the Chamber indicated that they are dealing with everyday loss of nearly 293 million dollars in the major business sectors.
Violence erupted in different parts of the country after former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia called a nationwide transport blockade on January 5, the first anniversary of a controversial election that her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and allies boycotted.
Khaled noted that official estimated that more than 30 people have since been killed in firebomb attacks on passenger buses, cars and trucks as vehicles plied on highways in defiance of the blockade.
He urged politicians to bring to an end the stand-off.
Khaled said the sectors worst affected were those for ready-made garments, transportation, real estate, agriculture, tourism and trade.
Meanwhile, Police have prevented several hundred pro-government transport workers from laying siege to the office of BNP chief Zia.
The workers said they would go on a “fast unto death” from Sunday unless Zia withdraws the blockade. (Xinhua/NAN)
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