It is an uncanny scene. A huge building supposed to be full of whirling sound of sewing machines lies silent. Waist deep water from the Buriganga sloshes inside the small shops where tailoring houses once churned out the bulk of the country’s domestic cheap garments. Shop owners sleep in side, some just keep gazing out. purposelessly.
This is what the flood has done to the.small Industrial units and businesses across the Buriganga. Miles of industrial belt along the river bank, which developed because of low estab-
lishment cost and abundance of cheap labour, is facing ruination because of the two-month long flood.
As business came to a halt, thousands of employees have been shed off The entrepreneurs do not know how to overcome the disaster None of the establishments had been set up on bank loans. Unlike big industrialist, they cannot pass the loss onto the banks and clamour for concessions and fresh funds
At the Zia Parishad Market of Keraniganj, Md Barek sat frustrated inside his small ap-
fiarel shop Stacks of garments ay unsold on the racks of
Faruk Garments.
"For the last 15 days. 1 could not sell even a taka worth of clothes.' says Barek. "In fact, my business has almost come to a halt for the last one month. Today. I also do not see any prospect of sale."
Barek engaged three employees in the shop. He had shed them off two weeks ago as business went down with water.
The shop supported Barek and his two brothers, all of whom have families. Today, he has to live on borrowing.
"I. have mortgaged my wife's ornaments and borrowed money." Barek disclosed after some hesitation.
At Nuru Market of Keraniganj. Md Kamal Dhali and his two employees sit idley. One of the employees leisurely sews a shirt, mostly to pass the time. Of the two sewing machines, one is covered.
"There has been no work to keep the machines rolling for the last two months.” says Dhali He has slashed the wage of his employees to about one third, from Tk 3000 a month to Tk 40 a day.
Away, structures of partly built shops float on the dockyard of River View Dockyard and Engineering Works. The office of the dockyard Is already halfway under water.
The dockyard has been abandoned for . the last two months. Electricity supply was cut off 15 days ago after a worker was electrocuted in an-.other yard.
Motahar Hossain, manager of the dockyard, said more than 100 labourers worked in the yard. All of them have been laid off.
Motahar himself has not received salary for the last month. He is living on borrowing.
The yard generated more than Tk 10.000 In income ev eryday." said Motahar. "It is now dry."
The story goes the same for a saw mill at Bashpatti. Sixteen employees were sacked last month as woods got soaked and became unsuitable for use. Power supply was also cut off to avoid electrocution.
Deep inside Zinjira. the sit uation is even worse. All the roads are under waist deep wa-
ter and markets after markets that housed the small work shops and industrial units which supported the economy of the area are under lock and key
Khokon, manager of a scrap metal shop, said he purchased only 60 kg of hardware yesterday Instead of two tonnes previously.
Bakers at a local bakery. Maer Doa (Mother s blessing) were preparing their mea) on a table. The oven could be traced two feet under water. Empty glass fronted boxes showed that no blessing could keep the factory open in the flood.
A shop owner calls it a day and prepares to close his shop. He downs the shutter of the shop and dives into water. About 20 seconds later, he comes up fixing the locks
On a flip side of the business scene, a roaring business is going on in river crossing The Buriganga is full of boats ferrying people. The roads of Zinjira and KeraniganJ are full of boats creating long Jams. Many of the shops are now housing boats where people sleep.
Many of the boatmen are exemployees of the closed busi-
nesses Some have even come from other districts which are also feeling the crunch of the economic down turn.
Nurul Islam Hawladar has come from Banaripara of Bar-ishal six days ago to take to the boating.
"1 was a rice vendor. But business is so dull now that I came here leaving my wife and children back, says Hawladar. "It is good business here. After paying Tk 25 for the boat. Tk 45 tor terminal charge and my meal costs, 1 can still make Tk 80 to 100 a day
He has already saved Tk 400 and will send the money to his family through a friend today. But Hawladar's luck was against him yesterday He crashed into a shallow boat in the morning and his boat over-«td. He was trying to dry his es and a "SiriATT nag which contained his small belongings and to clean the boat.
People who could not afford boats were wading through waist deep water for a living. They were worried because the water increased by half a foot overnight. A signs of uncertainty. misery and despair were seen on their faces.