"Lack of tolerance in politics is seriously hampering our national development activities," said Abdul Awal Mintoo, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), said at a book launching function.

He said the business community is the worst victim of repeated hartals and political anarchy. "The scope of both domestic and foreign investment will come to a halt if the political parties cannot be refrained from calling destructive programmes like hartal."

Mintoo also identified the deteriorating law and order situation as a barrier to trade and investment. "We lag behind compared to even our neighbouring countries and in economic competition we are at the bottom. We need to initiate a united effort to get over the situation," he told the launching of a publication, "History of Kushtia Chamber."

Appreciating the efforts for such a publication, the FBCCI President emphasised capacity building to face competition in the present era of globalisation and free market economy.

"Neither the business flourishes nor the business community get dynamic leaders and guardians for lack of strong business bodies," he said adding, "Any division deprives the community of materialising their due demands."

As the local business leaders raised various issues, including the necessity of a land port in Meherpur and problems relating to VAT, Mintoo said he would take up the matters to the authorities concerned.

Speaking on the occasion, FBCCI Vice President Kamaluddin Ahmed said hartal, extortion and deteriorating law and order situation are the main problems for running businesses and making investments.

Chaired by Kushtia Chamber President M Majibar Rahman, the function was attended, among others, by FBCCI leaders SM Nazrul Islam, Shamsul Alam, Mir Nasir Hossain, Abdul Wahed, Afazuddin Ahmed and Aminul Haq.