Sukanta Halder

Fearing looting and vandalism amidst the political crisis that culminated in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation following 15 years at the helm of an iron-fisted regime, many shops and malls in the country were closed yesterday, causing huge losses for businesses.

The risk of violence amidst a political crisis that culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday disrupted supply chains of essential food commodities, hitting consumers, traders and farmers.

The owners of retail outlets in Bangladesh fear they could incur massive losses due to the ongoing unrest stemming from a student movement seeking the resignation of the government.

Accommodation costs in Bangladesh have risen further amid persistently high inflation during the April-June period this year, placing an additional burden on many of the country’s middle and lower-income people.

The tour operators in Bangladesh suffered financial losses due to cancellation of pre-scheduled tours by foreign tourists who sought to avoid travelling in fear of violence and unrest centring the quota reform movement.

Malls and markets in Dhaka and other major cities have been hit hard by spiralling unrest across the country following the deaths of over 200 people, including students, during the quota reform movement in recent weeks.

Luxury hotels in Dhaka are suffering from a dearth of customers as foreigners and locals are avoiding travel in fear of unrest centring the quota reform movement, according to industry people.

Eateries in Dhaka are seeing a substantial drop in takings because of the ongoing unrest and the nationwide curfew.

The students’ movement for reforming the quota system in public jobs and the subsequent violence and curfew have adversely affected businesses, said Helal Uddin, president of Bangladesh Shop Owners Association.

Shopping malls and markets in the capital opened yesterday, after being closed for four consecutive days, but the presence of buyers was very low.

Day labourers in Dhaka are among those who are suffering the most due to the ongoing unrest along with the curfew imposed by the government to stem the violence.

“I can’t get you to understand how I managed to pay for meals over the past four days,” a dejected labourer, Muzahid Hossain, said yesterday.

Rahidul Islam, a wholesaler at Mahasthan Bazar, one of the biggest wholesale markets in Bogura, said they cannot send fresh farm produce to Dhaka and other major cities due to the unavailability of trucks.

As consumers hit the markets yesterday amid the nationwide curfew, they had to pay higher prices due to supply of essentials -- rice, vegetables, eggs, etc. -- facing disruptions for the third consecutive day.

The ongoing unrest centering the quota reform movement has ruptured the supply chain of essentials and other commodities, causing their prices to soar.

Supply of vegetables and essential goods to Dhaka has also been disrupted as the number of goods-laden trucks entering the capital fell sharply yesterday and the day before, they said.

Retailers are counting lower sales in Dhaka due to the low turnout of customers amidst a nationwide student movement demanding reforms to the quota system for government jobs..Traders said the fear of vandalism kept shopkeepers from opening their shops in some areas..The current situ

The government has drawn up a plan to construct facilities across the country to attract both local and international tourists looking for eco-tourism and traveling to heritage sites

According to the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), local varieties of onions were being sold for Tk 105 to Tk 115 per kg yesterday compared to Tk 95 to Tk 100 per kg a week ago.

Some 3.64 lakh policies of 36 life insurance companies of Bangladesh lapsed in the first quarter of 2024 due to a myriad of factors, including the worsening financial health of clients and agents’ tendency not to disclose key information while making sales.