Confidence for investment in Bangladesh has not returned: CPD

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Jan 29, 2025 : The confidence for investment has not returned during the interim government of Dr. Mohammad Yunus. There was uncertainty before, and it is still ongoing. The Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) believes that investors are unable to gain confidence in the unelected interim government.
This was said at a dialogue titled ‘Bangladesh Economy 2024-25: Expectations and Challenges in a Time of Crisis’ at the CPD office in Dhanmondi on Wednesday.
CPD Executive Director Dr. Fahmida Khatun said that investment is not happening due to political instability or law and order situation, saying that the interim government is short-lived. This government is a transactional government without the mandate of the people. Stability is needed for investment, which this government does not have.
Meanwhile, tannery workers in Savar’s leather industry city have been on strike and protesting for the second day demanding a minimum wage of Tk 18,000.
They staged the protest in front of the main gate of the tannery of Bangladesh BSCIC Industrial City in Harindhara area of ​​Tentuljhora union of the upazila since Wednesday (January 29) morning.
Due to the workers’ agitation, production in most of the tannery factories is closed. At this time, they demanded the implementation of the minimum wage announced by the government for workers in the leather industry.
The protesting workers said that tannery workers had been working on contract basis for so long. Their jobs were not made permanent. Later, the government announced a wage board for tannery workers. Although the minimum wage was implemented immediately after the announcement of the minimum wage in all cases, the tannery owners have not yet implemented the minimum wage announced for tannery workers. The workers were forced to join the agitation due to the passage of a long time.
The tannery workers also said that the government has announced a minimum wage for us in a total of five grades through the wage board, where the lowest wage is Tk 18,01. This wage has been announced with the consent of all parties including the owners, workers, and the union. But now the owners have come and said that this wage has become too much for them. We get a salary of 8 to 10 thousand taka. Our family cannot survive on that. They are earning crores of taka from us; but they do not pay us our dues. On November 21, the government published a gazette announcing our minimum wage. Our wages have been fixed in five grades. We are not willing to take even a hair less than this.
On the other hand, Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, ‘The Border Security Force (BSF) and Indian citizens must stop attacking and shooting at unarmed and innocent Bangladeshis at the border, including border killings. Many times, BSF and Indian citizens capture Bangladeshis while they are doing agricultural work. These activities cannot be accepted in any way.’
He told reporters after a preparatory inter-ministerial meeting to discuss various bilateral issues related to the Bangladesh-India border at the BGB-BSF Director General-level border conference to be held on Wednesday (January 29).
The 55th Director General-level meeting between the BGB and BSF is scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India from February 17 to 20.
Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, “All decisions will be taken by giving utmost importance to the interests of the country and upholding the issues related to interests. Overall cooperation from everyone is needed in this regard.”
Director (Public Relations) of the Ministry of Home Affairs Faisal Hasan said that this inter-ministerial meeting was held in coordination with all the ministries, departments and agencies concerned to discuss various bilateral issues related to the Bangladesh-India border at the BGB-BSF Director General-level border conference.
The upcoming BGB-BSF Director General Border Conference will be attended by representatives of the BGB, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Bangladesh Survey Department, Land Records and Survey Department and Joint River Commission.
There are a total of 4 agreements between the two countries at different times regarding the demarcation of the border between Bangladesh and India and the performance of the duties of the border guards of both countries. The agreement requires both countries to obtain each other’s consent for the completion of any development work within 150 yards from the zero line, if necessary.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui also commented that no concessions will be made on the Assam Agreement or border with India.