Al Amin :
The country’s retail traders are in a big trouble due to the fresh lockdown amid sudden surge in Covid-19 infections.
Shop owners said that they are still struggling to pay rents and workers’ salaries due to slow economic activities. At this moment, the fresh lockdown will increase their losses further, they said.
Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity (National Association of Shop Owners Bangladesh) wants to keep open their business entities for at least four hours during the lockdown by maintaining health guidelines. Md Helal Uddin, President of the organization, told The New Nation, “We have been struggling to survive since beginning of the pandemic. The re-imposition of lockdown will be unbearable for us.”
“We have already met the State Minister for Public Administration and urged him to allow us to keep open our business entities for four hours in a day amid the planned lockdown,” he added.
There are over 3 million retailers in the country and the annual turnover is over $18.42 billion. At least 25 lakh people in the country earn their livelihoods from small and cottage industries, according to the SME Foundation.
The entrepreneurs of the micro-merchants said that they will incur losses when they were expecting Pahela Boishakh and Eid sales bonanzas to help recoup last year’s losses.
They said their business will be unable to bounce back, if the lockdown prolongs.
Amin Uddin, a wholesaler of electric items at Nawabpur Road in the capital, said that he will be a big pressure as he is supposed to pay over Tk 2 lakh as monthly workers’ salaries and shop rent every month.
“I have been counting losses since the start of the pandemic. The fresh lockdown will increase my losses. If it prolongs, I will have no other option but to shutdown my business,” he told The New Nation.
Like Amin Uddin, hundreds of the micro-merchants are passing their days with uncertainties due to the fresh surge in pandemic cases.
Meanwhile, clothes traders said that they are expected around 75 per cent of annual sales ahead of Pahela Boishakh and Eid. But the fresh lockdown frustrated them.
Bachchu Mia has been running Maria Boutique House for almost a decade in Banti village of Narayanganj’s Araihazar. His Pahela Boishakh turnover reaches at least Tk 10 lakh every year.
He suffered massive losses last year due to the pandemic. He upscaled production this year with additional investment to recoup the losses, but the fresh virus curbs have made him worried.
“I borrowed Tk 8 lakh to invest in my business this year. I had to increase investment to recover last year’s losses. I am concerned about how to handle bank loans, workers’ wages and factory rents ahead of the two big festivals,” said Bachchu, with a note of frustration.
Like him, 8,000-10,000 boutique entrepreneurs are also worried that they will face losses again this year.
