Dhaka, Feb. 24 -- Rampant extortion, deteriorating law and order and an opaque trade agreement with the United States are threatening to suffocate Bangladesh's fragile economic recovery, the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) has warned.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday titled "Expectations from the new government to address the current economic situation" at the DCCI auditorium in Motijheel, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed said businesses were being pushed to the brink by what he described as "unbearable extortion" across the supply chain.

He alleged that extortion had risen by between 20 and 40 per cent in recent months, affecting everything from factory gate deliveries to transportation by road and river.

"Trucks enter...