Noman Mosharef :
The street vendors, especially the fish and vegetable sellers are in deep crisis, as they under duress sell their perishable goods before dusk.
The kitchen market vendors rush hours to sell their goods are morning and evening. The office employees gather in kitchen markets after office hours.
In view of the weeklong lockdown, vendors are bound to sell their goods with reduced price. As a result the kitchen market traders are counting loss fearing uncertainty in future.
When visited different kitchen markets in capital, the fish and vegetable vendors expressed their agony with the reporter.
Md Rustom Ali, a fish trader from Jurain kitchen market told The New Nation that he used to sell fish in the evening. Few of his fixed customers, who were bankers by profession,
bought fish after their office hours. Now they are not coming to his shop as he sells his fish at reduced rate before 6 pm. Rustom Ali said, if I continue to count loss, then how will I maintain my six members’ family? They are completely depending on my income.
Fearing uncertain future Rustom Ali said, there is none to assist poor people. But the government imposed lockdown, then how will we survive?
Md Mokhlesh Mia, another vegetables vendor from Hatirjhil kitchen market said, in the morning we sell a certain portion of vegetables. But at evening we sell a significant portion of vegetables.
Mokhlesh Mia said, it is not possible to keep few of vegetables for next day as it is perishable. So, we are bound to discharge them.
Angry Mokhlesh said, they (government) have no time of thinking for us. They are thinking for themselves and for rich people.
When asked that Covid-19 is increasing and spreading rapidly and for that the govt. announced the lockdown, Mokhlesh Mia said that when people are gathering in various places, then what happened there?
Street vegetables vendor Sobuj Sheikh’s story is so pathetic. He is living with his ill mother who need about Tk 300 to buy medicine per day is facing serious trouble.
Sobuj used to sell his vegetables in Motijeel area from afternoon. Most of his customers were bank employees. Now revised bank our made a serious trouble for him.
