The country’s business leaders on Sunday called for enhanced security measures for factories and vehicles transporting goods on roads and highways.

This appeal was made during a meeting with Major General Muhammad Moin Khan, General Officer Commanding of the 9th Infantry Division, held at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) headquarters in Dhaka.

Representatives from the BGMEA, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association participated in the meeting.

According to a press release from the BGMEA, the discussion focused on ensuring the smooth operation of factories and addressing the challenges entrepreneurs face related to the law and order situation.

The discussion highlighted that in industrial areas dominated by the garment industry, incidents of violence were frequently occurring over the controlling of ‘Jhut’ business.

BGMEA leaders said that several groups of miscreants had been formed in these areas to dominate the jhut business, creating youth gangs that disrupted the local environment and harassed both owners and workers.

In the meeting, the businesses also requested enhanced security for goods-carrying vehicles for all industries, including exports, on roads and highways.

They expressed concerns over unnecessary delays in loading and unloading goods from ships in the Chattrogram port, which incurred additional costs for traders and reduced the industry’s competitiveness.

They also mentioned long delays in clearing goods at airport.

The meeting was attended by BGMEA first vice-president Syed Nazrul Islam, vice-presidents Md Nasir Uddin, Abdullah Hill Rakib, and Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, FBCCI president Mahbubul Alam, Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Zaved Akhtar, acting BTMA president Md Fazlul Haque and representatives of various trade organisations.

Industrial Police additional IGP Md Mahabubur Rahman, Army Task Force commander Colonel Abu Mohammad Mohiuddin, and representatives from BGB and RAB were also present.