Jewellers cancel plan for strike on assurance from PMO

Bangladesh Jewellers' Samity has backed off from their plan to go on strike from Sunday following the government’s assurance that their demands would be considered.

The association's Vice-President Enamul Haque made the announcement after a meeting with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry or FBCCI on Saturday but its President Ganga Charan Malakar claimed that the protests were cancelled without his approval.

On Wednesday, jewellers issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the customs to release the gold confiscated from Apan Jewellers and threatened to go on strike otherwise.

FBCCI President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin has called for jewellers to carry on business with ease until a “formal guideline” comes into being.

At a meeting with leading jewellers, Mohiuddin cited an assurance from Abul Kalam Azad, chief coordinator for sustainable development goals affairs at the Prime Minister's Office, that necessary steps would be taken to meet the association's demands.

To this, the association's Vice-President Haque said: “We are convinced. Thanks to the prime minister, we are calling off all our protest programmes. ”

He, however, urged the authorities to go soft on the confiscation of gold from Apan Jewellers.

During raids on May 14-15, customs detectives confiscated some 570kg of gold ornaments and over 7,000 diamond jewellery from five Apan Jewellers outlets. File photo

The leading brand ended up in a battle with the customs over alleged tax evasion after the police arrested a son of one of its owners in a rape case pushing the jeweller's business practices into sharp media attention.

“The illegal raid on Apan Jewellers triggered panic among us,” he said. He asked the FBCCI president for a guideline for traders on how to respond when a raid starts on any sales outlet.

Regarding President Malakar’s discontent, the association's General Secretary Dilip Kumar Agarwala said the decision was taken unanimously. “The matter will be cleared through a press statement later.”

On Sunday, customs detectives deposited to the Bangladesh Bank some 570kg of gold ornaments and over 7,000 diamond jewellery confiscated from Apan Jewellers.

Customs detectives interrogated the three owners – Dildar Ahmed, Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed twice following the raids, but they failed to come up with valid documents against the stock.