Sylhet Correspondent :
Street vendors in Sylhet city are bearing the brunt of political unrest as their daily sales have dropped sharply due to the ongoing blockade and hartals enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. 10 to 12 thousand hawkers including roadside shop-keepers, who sell fruits, vegetables, fish, chickens, clothes, shoes and various foods in the city at makeshift shops on footpaths and streets are struggling for their daily bread. During a visit to several city points our correspondent saw several makeshift shops run by hawkers open during hartal and blockade hours looked deserted with hardly any trade taking place. Lower presence of people on the streets during blockade and hartals is a common reason for such low business,
Traders of Hasan market said. ‘I have never experienced this type of situation,’ His daily sale was about Tk 3,000 a month back but amid hartals and blockade, it came down drastically. ‘Now I am struggling to earn Tk1,000 a day,’ he also said. ‘With these paltry earnings, I am facing hardship running my six-member family,’ he further said. ‘As business is dull, there is very little sale. We are facing problem running families,’
Abdullah, who runs a small Tea shop at Bandar bazar, said, Bandarbazar is usually known as a hotspot of violence. Several bombs exploded in front of my eyes. Yet I opened my shop but couldn’t scratch a living for thin presence of people in streets.’
‘We’re inching towards death being unfed if such a tricky situation continues,’ he added.
Shamim Ahmed who sells mobile phone accessories at his footpath shop near near
Kudrat Ullah market said, ‘We are just poor people struggling for a survival. We are no party to politics and don’t understand why the government and opposition parties can’t arrive at a decision to relieve us from pain caused by their (political) programmes.’ ‘We want an end to this situation.’ he said. Salah Uddin Ahmed, president of Sylhet Chamber and Commerce and Industry (SCCI), said at the end of the day, the common people suffer the most.
He called upon politicians to be more sensible and honest about their political activities, to ensure both economic development and the peace and stability in the country. He also said, ‘With transportation of goods being seriously hampered since last couple of weeks, prices of essential commodities already marked a rise while the situation is feared to worsen further.’
Long-distance passengers paying double fare
Long distance bus travelers are paying two or three times of the regular fare as only few buses are plying inter-district routes amid fear of petrol bomb attack.
The transporters demand double or triple the fare as they are leaving the terminal facing risk of petrol bomb attacks during the ongoing countrywide blockade called by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. Almost double the fare was charged by bus services yesterday on long distance routes.
As there was no hartal on Saturday, some inter-district buses left from different bus terminal Kodomtaly in the city. Some passengers traveling to Sylhet from the capital said they had to pay Tk 300 as bus fare while the regular fare is Tk 170.
One of the passengers, Sohel Amin said, ‘There is a limit to the hike in fares. The bus workers are demanding two or three times the actual fair price. As the number of buses is limited and we must return home, they are taking the advantage and charging extra money.’
Taijul, a bus supervisor, said, ‘The indefinite blockade is going on. We are running our buses amidst risk of petrol bomb attack. If you want you can go. Otherwise, there are others who want to go.’
Despite the spike in bus fare, a good number of passengers were seen waiting at the Kodamtaly bus terminal in the Sylhet, looking for a chance to go to their destinations, either to return to their homes or for some urgent work.
Suhel, a bus passenger said, ‘I have to go for my business purpose. I can’t care how much I have to pay. I must meet my client or I will lose a lot of money and my business will be in jeopardy. I have no choice.’
A bus driver said, ‘We could not drive the buses for a long time due to hartals. We are only getting the chance in the weekends. Nobody thinks about our problems. We had to starve during the hartal and blockade. And even now, we are driving ignoring the risk on our lives due to petrol bomb attacks.’
Meanwhile, despite the indefinite blockade being enforced, numerous city buses are operating regularly and traffic gridlocks were seen at some of the city traffic signals yesterday.
Street vendors in Sylhet city are bearing the brunt of political unrest as their daily sales have dropped sharply due to the ongoing blockade and hartals enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. 10 to 12 thousand hawkers including roadside shop-keepers, who sell fruits, vegetables, fish, chickens, clothes, shoes and various foods in the city at makeshift shops on footpaths and streets are struggling for their daily bread. During a visit to several city points our correspondent saw several makeshift shops run by hawkers open during hartal and blockade hours looked deserted with hardly any trade taking place. Lower presence of people on the streets during blockade and hartals is a common reason for such low business,
Traders of Hasan market said. ‘I have never experienced this type of situation,’ His daily sale was about Tk 3,000 a month back but amid hartals and blockade, it came down drastically. ‘Now I am struggling to earn Tk1,000 a day,’ he also said. ‘With these paltry earnings, I am facing hardship running my six-member family,’ he further said. ‘As business is dull, there is very little sale. We are facing problem running families,’
Abdullah, who runs a small Tea shop at Bandar bazar, said, Bandarbazar is usually known as a hotspot of violence. Several bombs exploded in front of my eyes. Yet I opened my shop but couldn’t scratch a living for thin presence of people in streets.’
‘We’re inching towards death being unfed if such a tricky situation continues,’ he added.
Shamim Ahmed who sells mobile phone accessories at his footpath shop near near
Kudrat Ullah market said, ‘We are just poor people struggling for a survival. We are no party to politics and don’t understand why the government and opposition parties can’t arrive at a decision to relieve us from pain caused by their (political) programmes.’ ‘We want an end to this situation.’ he said. Salah Uddin Ahmed, president of Sylhet Chamber and Commerce and Industry (SCCI), said at the end of the day, the common people suffer the most.
He called upon politicians to be more sensible and honest about their political activities, to ensure both economic development and the peace and stability in the country. He also said, ‘With transportation of goods being seriously hampered since last couple of weeks, prices of essential commodities already marked a rise while the situation is feared to worsen further.’
Long-distance passengers paying double fare
Long distance bus travelers are paying two or three times of the regular fare as only few buses are plying inter-district routes amid fear of petrol bomb attack.
The transporters demand double or triple the fare as they are leaving the terminal facing risk of petrol bomb attacks during the ongoing countrywide blockade called by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. Almost double the fare was charged by bus services yesterday on long distance routes.
As there was no hartal on Saturday, some inter-district buses left from different bus terminal Kodomtaly in the city. Some passengers traveling to Sylhet from the capital said they had to pay Tk 300 as bus fare while the regular fare is Tk 170.
One of the passengers, Sohel Amin said, ‘There is a limit to the hike in fares. The bus workers are demanding two or three times the actual fair price. As the number of buses is limited and we must return home, they are taking the advantage and charging extra money.’
Taijul, a bus supervisor, said, ‘The indefinite blockade is going on. We are running our buses amidst risk of petrol bomb attack. If you want you can go. Otherwise, there are others who want to go.’
Despite the spike in bus fare, a good number of passengers were seen waiting at the Kodamtaly bus terminal in the Sylhet, looking for a chance to go to their destinations, either to return to their homes or for some urgent work.
Suhel, a bus passenger said, ‘I have to go for my business purpose. I can’t care how much I have to pay. I must meet my client or I will lose a lot of money and my business will be in jeopardy. I have no choice.’
A bus driver said, ‘We could not drive the buses for a long time due to hartals. We are only getting the chance in the weekends. Nobody thinks about our problems. We had to starve during the hartal and blockade. And even now, we are driving ignoring the risk on our lives due to petrol bomb attacks.’
Meanwhile, despite the indefinite blockade being enforced, numerous city buses are operating regularly and traffic gridlocks were seen at some of the city traffic signals yesterday.
