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Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Taskeen Ahmed on Wednesday urged the government to ensure an environment conducive to operating business in a smooth, transparent and secured manner. 

Mentioning that there is a need for taking collective efforts by all the stakeholders to improve the current business environment, he also urged all to come forward to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies.

The DCCI president was taking part in a roundtable discussion on recent law and order situation at the DCCI in the capital.

The DCCI president stated that while every citizen had the right to exercise their democratic freedoms, but it was also equally important to uphold the rights of the business owners to conduct their business without disruption. 

Therefore, considering the difficult geo-economic situation, he urged all concerned to remain vigil so that the day-to-day activities of the people were not disrupted along with conducting business operations.

For an improved law and order situation, he recommended 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. 

Taskeen also opined that administrative and commercial decentralisation was also necessary to reduce the ongoing pressure on the capital, which will further consolidate the development of the country’s marginal areas.

Former DCCI senior vice-president Abdus Salam urged the law enforcement agencies to respond firmly against the criminals.

Former DCCI vice-president M Abu Horairah recommended increasing parking facilities in the Dhaka South areas as well as relocating the office of the traffic department of the South from Shantinagar to city’s Gulistan. 

He also suggested relocating the battery-run rickshaws from the city areas as well as demanded for the proper implementation of strategic transport plan of Dhaka city immediately.

DCCI director Enamul Haque Patwary suggested arranging regular coordination meetings among the stakeholders and to organize community awareness raising programmes. He requested the law enforcers to remove makeshift street shops from the footpaths and roads.

Golam Mowla, president of the Bangladesh Edible Oil Traders Association, said that there was a need to increase police patrolling at Lalbagh, Kotwali and Chawkbazar areas in the evening for the safety of traders.

Md Abul Hashem, president of the Bangladesh Sugar Traders Association, urged the government to reduce tax on imported sugar as the price of sugar has increased due to increased tax. 

It has also increased the capital investment of the traders as well, he added. 

Hashem opined that the government should run at least two sugar mills throughout the year under a pilot project in order to ensure better supply chain and market competition. 

President of the Moulvibazar Traders Association Syed Mohammad Bashir Uddin suggested opening up import of sugar and oil by the private sector importers. 

He said that this would increase competition in the market, stop illegal hoarding and thus reduce the prices of these items.

Nesar Uddin Khan, senior vice-president of Bangladesh Pulses Traders Association, Foyezuddin, vice-president of Bangladesh Manihari Merchants Association, president of Mohammadpur Townhall Kachabazar Traders’ Association, Motijheel Police station inspector (investigation) Md Mahaimenul Islam spoke, among others, at the discussion.

DCCI senior vice-president Razeev H Chowdhury, vice-president Md Salem Sulaiman and convenor of the Law and Order Standing Committee Waliul Islam Dollar were also present in the meeting.