Khulna brick traders on strike to protest brick price hike
Brick traders here went on an indefinite strike yesterday protesting 'abnormal' price hike of bricks.
"We have called an indefinite strike to protest the artificial crisis created by abnormally raising the price of bricks by brickfield owners", said Abdus Sattar Khalipha, president of Khulna Brick and Sand Traders' Association and a member of executive committee of Khulna city Awami League.
Purchase and sale of bricks, sand and brick chips shall remain suspended till prices are reduced to reasonable rate, he said.
"We have no other alternative to such hardline knowing fully well that this strike will create an adverse impact on development works", said Yakub Ali Khan Palash, general secretary of the same association.
The two leaders of the association said that a thousand pieces of good quality bricks which was sold between Tk 4,500 and Tk 5,000 early this year has now been raised to Tk 6,500.
Over a hundred traders belonging to our association have stopped buying bricks from any of the 55 brickfields of Khulna city and district in support of the call for indefinite strike, they said.
Besides, all these traders have also stopped selling bricks from yesterday in support of the strike call, Sattar Khalipha said.
Leaders of the association alleged that brickfield owners are doing monopoly business by raising prices at their will and without any logical ground.
"We have to purchase per one thousand good quality brick at the rate of Tk 6,000 while LGED, RHD and PWD specify in tender schedule Tk 4,000 per thousand for the same," said general secretary of KCC Contractors' Welfare Association Taslim Ahmed Asha while lending support to the strike call. He said abnormal rise in brick price would adversely affect and hamper development works.
Each of the 55 brickfields has huge stock. So, there is no reason price hike, he said.
Contacted, President of Khulna Brickfield Owners Association Abdul Jail Khan Kalam, said that there is no other way but to raise prices of different qualities of bricks to cope with higher production cost.
Prices of clay and coal have gone up abnormally. Besides, workers of brickfields are demanding pay hike, he said, citing reasons.
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