The recent killings of two foreign nationals have created a negative impact on the country’s business sector with the cancellation of trips by overseas buyers, tourists and representatives of donor agencies. Besides, a good number of foreign nationals working at several infrastructure projects, have left the country following the killings, said sources concerned. Italian citizen Tavella Cesare was killed at the Gulshan diplomatic zone in the capital on September 28 and Japanese national Kunio Hoshi was murdered in Rangpur on October 3 triggering a wave of panic among the foreign nationals living in the country. Experts concerned observed that the businesses would be hit hard if immediate measures are not taken to restore the confidence of the foreigners.
Following the incidents, a crucial meeting of the Buyers Forum, scheduled to be held on October 5, has been cancelled. The country’s readymade garment entrepreneurs said many buyers, who were to visit the country to confirm buying orders from the local factories, have already postponed their visits following the killings.
“The government should act promptly to restore the confidence of the foreigners, otherwise the foreign entrepreneurs and investors would be discouraged to come here,” former caretaker government adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam said. Tourism sector entrepreneurs also said that the killings of the foreigners would cause a serious negative impact on tourism.
It is learnt that dozens of foreign tourists have cancelled their booking at luxury hotels in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar.
Officials of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon and Radisson Hotel said many foreigners have cancelled their bookings there.
“Particularly the hotel faced substantial financial loss due to the cancellation of the tour of the Australian Cricket team as they were scheduled to stay in the hotel during their stay,” an official of the Sonargaon hotel said.
In Cox’s Bazar, officials of Long Beach Hotel said some Japanese tourists have cancelled their booking.
At Ocean Paradise hotel, 15 rooms were booked from October 25 to 30 for the members of the South African women cricket team, but the booking was cancelled due to the postponement of the tour. Many foreigners, who are working at different infrastructure projects as experts, have left their workplaces and many have even left Bangladesh after the killings of two foreign nationals. Last week, a Spanish company withdrew over 30 of their foreign staff who were working at a power project in Shiddhirganj. Similarly foreign consultants working at Bibiana power plant, Khulna North West Power plant have left their work places, sources said. Though the foreign diplomats have said that they were satisfied with the steps taken by the government, in reality they were yet to withdraw the travel alerts issued for their citizens who are willing to visit Bangladesh. On the other hand, many fear that the crucial meeting of the Bangladesh Development Forum, the platform of the development partners of Bangladesh, may face uncertainty if the participants feel insecure to visit the country.