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Download PDF Leaders of the country’s business community yesterday expressed deep shock and concern over the arrest warrants issued against eminent citizens and business personalities following a case filed by the Board of Investment (BoI) chief.
In a joint statement, leaders of 10 leading business chambers and associations expressed fear that this kind of situation will damage the country’s image and investment climate.
The warrants were issued against business personalities Syed Manzur Elahi and Laila Rahman Kabir, and eminent citizens Professor Rehman Sobhan, M Syeduzzaman and Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya after BoI Executive Chairman Mahmudur Rahman filed a defamation case against them.
The case was preceded by controversies generated following Mahmudur’s allegations that Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), an independent research organisation, provided distorted information about the country’s economy.
Mahbubur Rahman, president of International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh, Latifur Rahman, president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Samson H Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies, MA Momen, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry, AK Azad, president of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries, Kamran T Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association, M Shamsul Alam, chairman of Bangladesh Insurance Association, Wahidul Huq, chairman of Bangladesh Tea Association, and OR Khan, vice president of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, are signatories to the statement.
In the petition Mahmudur Rahman alleged that CPD at its press conference on August 8 had labelled him as a ‘Razakar,’ thereby tarnishing his reputation. But CPD refuted the claim and said such allegation was not made against him, the statement said.
The situation arose out of Mahmudur Rahman’s contention that CPD’s work in compiling data relating to investment was not in line with BoI’s projections, the business leaders said.
“It must be stated that anyone, including trade bodies of Bangladesh, have the right to compile data and information and make analysis on any aspect of the country’s activities, including its country,” the statement said.
“Differences of views and opinions can and will exist in a free, pluralistic and democratic society. Such differences can always be discussed and debated in a dignified manner. It may also be mentioned here that in all such analysis, our uppermost concern is our country,” the business leaders noted.
“But resorting to criminal proceedings, which has resulted in arrest warrants against such eminent citizens of the country, including leaders of trade organisations is deplorable.”
“We fear that this kind of situation will only damage the country’s image and investment climate. So, the business leaders appeal to the highest authority of the government to ensure that there is no recurrence of such episode in future,” the statement concluded.
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