Business leaders at a discussion with Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the government and opposition to fight violence together and shun hartal as a political tool.
They called on the two to open dialogues 'by any means' and said Bangladesh was witnessing a grim law and order situation and hartal was hitting business hard. The business delegation appreciated Awami League's human-shield on Thursday as a good substitute for hartal to register protest.Hasina said that in protesting against the terror and criminal activities business communities themselves are calling general strikes.
The meeting in a city hotel came after the AL scheduled a countrywide back-to-back dawn-to-dusk hartal for April 7-8, demanding immediate resignation of the government and snap polls.
On another development ,US State Department's spokesman said that US supports only constitutional means for the people of Bangladesh to select their leadership. US doesnot support any political party whatsoever. US State Department's spokesman supported the US Ambassador in Bangladesh who had previously said that US feels the present government in Bangladesh should complete their term and the government can only be changed by constitutional means.