Economic Reporter :
The leaders of the Bangladesh Shop Owners’ Association (BSOA) on Sunday urged the government to allow reopening of all kinds of shops, market and shopping malls after the end of ongoing strict lockdown on August 5.
The traders have suffered losses of around Tk 27 lakh crore as shops and markets remained closed for around 270 days in various lockdowns since the beginning of the outbreak in 2020, the leaders said while speaking at a press conference in the office of New Market Shop owners Association in the capital.
Nine sectors including Bangladesh Shops Owners’ Association, Bangladesh International Hotel Association, Bangladesh Tiles Businessmen’s Association and Bangladesh Community Center Owners’ Association faced the losses, they added.
They also come up with other four-point demands including arranging nationwide vaccination campaign, deploying law enforcement agency to ensure hygiene rules and ensuring wearing of masks and providing quick cash incentives to the affected traders.
“In the last one and half years we have lost around Tk27 lakh crore. In the meantime, we had to keep the shops, market and shopping malls closed or around 270 days,” said Helal Uddin, President of the BSOA.
There are around 5.5 million small and micro businesses in Bangladesh and more than two crore people are working in this sector, he said, adding that they are living a miserable life with their families in this situation.
“So we are demanding to reopening of shops after the ongoing strict lockdown for the sake of the businessmen”, he said.
To control coronavirus infection, the government first imposed restrictions on various areas, including public transport, for seven days from 5 April. Later, it extended restrictions for two more days.
As the situation got out of control, an ‘all-out lockdown’ began from 14 to 21 April with stricter restrictions. It was later extended to 28 April. Meanwhile, shops and shopping malls have been opened for a certain period of time.
Shops and shopping malls were allowed to remain open from 9:00am to 5:00pm from 4 April to 13 April 13, strictly maintaining health safety guidelines.
Later, during a strict lockdown that began on 14 April, the government closed all shops and markets again across the country and reopened them on 25 April.
The restrictions were also relaxed from midnight on 14 July to 8 am on July 23 in the interest of celebrating the holy Eid-ul-Azha
The government has again imposed a strict lockdown from July 23 to August 5 to curb the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
