bdnews24.com :The under-construction flyover in Moghbazar-Mouchak area has hit Eid-time business badly.Traders in the area say the pile-up of construction material on the roads impede traffic and cause massive congestion. “That discourages people from coming to the area for Eid-time shopping. We are missing out on big business,” says Haji Mohammed Taiyab Ali, owner of Kings Fashionware at Bishal Centre.He said his shop has many regular customers who would shop ahead of Eid.”But they all complain of traffic congestion and don’t come. We lose out on much business,” says Taiyab Ali.He blames the under-construction flyover for the ‘drop in business’ that traders in the area face.”We understand that the flyover has to be constructed. But the authorities must find a way to keep the road free of disruption,” Ali told bdnews24.com. Another trader Hossain Mohammad says the local market is ‘almost dead’. “Most Eid time shoppers don’t come out at daytime. They shop in the evening but that is when the road is mostly closed down.” Hossain says most of their regular customers are well off and come in cars-so traffic woes discourage them. “I have to go for target selling now. Call up my regular customers and encourage them to come braving bad traffic,” he said. Abdul Rahim is one such customer bdnews24.com found in Hossain’s shop-one who has responded positively to the shopkeeper’s request to come and buy from a trusted trader.”I was unwilling to come because the traffic gets real bad here. But he (Hossain) called up, so I had to come,” says Rahim. This has hit sales-Hossain says against a normal Eid-time turnover of Tk 300,000, he is finding it difficult to manage a sale of Tk 50,000. “I was anticipating a turnover of Tk 5 million during the Ramadan month, now would be lucky to manage something in the vicinity of Tk 1 million.”Traders at the Mouchak market also complain losing almost half the normal Eid time business because of the under-construction flyover. Nabarupa Tantghar owner Mohammed Karim is fuming. “Shoppers just can’t enter our area due to the ongoing construction, so what will we sell?”Karim says against a normal Eid-time daily turnover of Tk 50,000, his sale has dropped to less than Tk 8,000-10,000. Babul Mia, owner of two shops “Popular Fashions” and “Adar Fashions”, has been in the Mouchak market for 25 years. “I can’t remember a time when my business was as bad as it is now,” he said.Mohammed Selim, whose shop in this market is three decades old, also blames the flyover construction for the sharp drop in business. “Here you will feel the Eid shopping has hardly started, when in all other areas, it is booming.” Beside the flyover, he also blames the city corporation for its lackadaisical attitude.”They dump construction material on the road. That blocks the passage. Or else it would not be so bad.”
