Trade bodies have urged thegovernment to take steps so that export-import activities at the country'spremier seaport Chittagong remain open during the Eid holidays.
They also requested the customsauthorities to keep open all the customs houses, including the one atChittagong port during the Eid vacation in order to keep export-importactivities unhurt. The country will observe the highest number of publicholidays in August this year in the wake of Eid and other occasions.
According to central bankcalendar, the government employees will have 15 days public holiday in Augustwith seven days simultaneous closure from August 15 to 21.
The closure will mark byNotational Mourning Day (death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman), weekly and Eid holidays.
Besides, other eight are weeklyholidays (Fridays and Saturdays) that are August 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and25.
"The country's import-expord business is going to fall in along-holiday trap, which may seriously hurt our external trade," AbdusSalam Murshedy, president of Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB), toldThe New Nation yesterday.
He added: "We cannot effortsuch a long holiday, as it will force to stop cargo movement, loading andunloading of raw materials and export consignments at the Chittagongport."
Murshedy feared that manyexporters may fail to make timely shipments of the export consignments if along holiday persists at the country's prime seaport, customs houses and bankand other financial institutions.
"All services linked to the external trade should remain openduring the Eid holidays, otherwise, it will have a huge negative impact on thecountry's export business," he warned.