By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh’s caretaker government has regretted the ‘panic’ its current drive against crime and corruption has caused among the business community that complained that “fear factors” were dampening their activities.
Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed, whose administration is conducting the drive, conceded that some of it was “inevitable… in a situation where established norms are challenged”.
At a dialogue convened by the government Wednesday, businessmen complained of “fear factors” like arrests and drives by various government agencies, including the anti-corruption commission (ACC) and those tracking tax evaders.
“Too many questions on every activity and too many lists of offenders also spread panic among the businessmen,” said M.A. Rouf Chowdhury, director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI).
At the dialogue on “Bangladesh Economy and Future Perspective”, Ahmed, who performs prime ministerial functions, promised “the beleaguered business community” that authorities would be directed not to cause “unnecessary harassment” to those pursuing honest activity, New Age newspaper said Thursday.
The army chief, Gen. Moin U. Ahmed assured the businessmen: “The ongoing mission of listing the alleged corrupts will be finished by this month.
“So far it has included some 152 alleged corrupts and the list, to be finished by the first of October, might reach possibly to 220,” the general said.
The government arranged the high-profile dialogue as a part of its efforts “to rebuild confidence among the businessmen who remain shaky about several fear factors,” the newspaper noted.
Bangladesh’s business community had been quick to welcome the proclamation of emergency in January that was preceded by months of political turmoil. Strikes and road blockade had hurt economic activities, including exports.
However, Abu Mutaleb, another FBCCI director, lamented, “Inviting and welcoming the emergency rule and consequently the present caretaker government, the business community now has become the worst victim… We are passing sleepless nights in fear of NBR (National Board of Revenue) and ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) drives.”
The Chief Advisor proposed setting up a ‘Bangladesh Better Business Forum’ that he would chair, with high-level representatives from both public and private sectors.
He said problems identified in the meetings of this forum would be systematically addressed by relevant government agencies. “We will not allow this forum to become a talking-shop,” Ahmed assured.
The government planned to initiate a quarterly “survey of business confidence” in order to constantly feel the pulse of the private sector.
Ahmed cited the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business-2007 Survey’ that ranked Bangladesh at 88th among 168 countries and third among the South Asian nations in terms of doing business.
“We like to see Bangladesh’s position improve by at least 15 places in the global ranking when the 2009 Doing Business Indicators are published,” he added.