Bongo News.com:Retailers are passing through tough time as sales at their shops have almost halved due to the current political unrest and frequent general strikes, shop owners said.They said most of the small businessmen were forced to meet their operational cost with capital fund in recent weeks as they had failed to make any profits in the period.Shah Alam Khandaker, organising secretary of Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity, said that many of the shop owners were facing bankruptcy due to the repeated shutdown.Shah Alam, also the owner of Men’s Wear on Elephant Road in the capital, said that average sales at his showroom decreased by more than 50 per cent and he faced difficulties in making payment to staff.‘So, middle and small traders are forced to borrow from banks to maintain operational cost including shop rent, utility bill and staff payment and they are in debt to the banks,’ said the leader of the shop owners association.Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry in its recent study said, ‘The country loses around Tk 1,600 crore for general strike in a day and the wholesale markets, shopping malls, showrooms, small and retail shops, most affected by the ongoing political turmoil, lose the highest amount of Tk 600 crore in a day’s shutdown.’Shafiqul Islam, proprietor of Manihar Fabrics at Mouchak Market, said that he incurred loss of Tk 33,000 last month as his shop remained closed for 11 days in the period due to political violence and general strikes.‘I have to pay the rent, utility bills and staff payment from my capital fund and now it is becoming very tough to maintain my family needs,’ he said.Shafiqul alleged that the political leaders were not thinking about the middle and small businesses that were straggling to survive.Md Shajahan, a clothes retailer at Karwan Bazar, said that the operational cost of his shop was Tk 1,500 a day.‘But in the last two months sales at his shop witnessed drastic fall,’ he said.Though the traders at the Karwan Bazar super market remain their shops open during general strikes, they see very thin turnout of the consumers, he said.Shajahan said that in the last two months he could not make any profit.Rezaul Islam Monto, owner of Mishi Fashion at Malibag Super Market, said that sales at his fashion house decreased by 50 to 70 per cent due to frequent general strikes.Middle and small traders are the main victims of the strikes as they have not sufficient capital or savings, he said.Rezaul, also the vice-president of Dhaka Mohanagar Dokan Malik Samity, said that political parties were turning a deaf ear to the businesses’ request for alternative programme.Rafiqul Islam, a small grocery shop owner at Rampura Bazar, said that he had been suffering due to hartal as sales at his shop plunged.Usually sales at his shop amount to Tk 10,000 a day, but the sales drop to Tk 2,000-Tk 2,500 during hartal.‘It is becoming very difficult to bear the daily expense of my family and recently I have to spend my savings,’ he said.Md Shahidul Islam, Malibagh Chowdhurypara branch manager of Transcom Electronics Limited, said that sales of home appliances decreased by around 50 per cent due to political instability.‘In the last two months, we failed to achieve the sales target as the turnout of buyers was very thin.’

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