& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Wholesale markets returning to life

Avik Sanwar Rahman
Wholesale markets of Dhaka have returned to normalcy in the month of Ramadan., •. t . ■ Wholesale markets in Moulvi
Bazar, Naya Bazar, Islampur, Babu Bazar and Chawk Bazar had suffered tremendous setbacks during the recent devastating flood and incessant rain that had affected the communication network across the country and cut of supplies to and from the city.
"During the flood and rain, business went down by 40 percent compared to the normal market situation as retailers from all over tlie country could not make their way to the wholesale markets. Now it has climbed back to close to 80 percent and will become normal as the Eid-ul Fitr is drawing near," said Golam Mowla, general secretary of Moulvi Bazar Businessmen Association.
"Everyday there is a transaction of overTk. 200 crore in the wholesale markets and the entire country is dependant on the supples from the wholesale markets of old Dhaka," said Mowla.
There are more than five thousand businessmen in Moulvi Bazar area of whom around two thousands are wholesalers and three thousands retailers.
The Moulvi Bazar wholesale market has virtual monopoly over the supply of essential commodities to the city and other parts of the country.
"The situation of the whole-sale market has improved somewhat from the crisis stage during the flood as people are now able to come to Moulvi Bazar," said
, .Chandaiv a wholesaler of chemi -cal products.
Although the market has become vibrant in terms of sales, other wholesalers of essential commodities said tlie market has suffered due to changes in government policy.
"There were 2000 wholesale dealers of edible oil across the country in 2001. But the present government changed policies
and stopped import by TCB. The policy of the government has actually caused abnormal price hike as the market has become a monopoly Of a synd lea to'of five to six importers of edible oil," said Abul Hashem, general secretary of Bangladesh wholesale edible oil merchants' association.
"We had to raise price of essentials when importers raised theirs," added Hashem.
"It is essential that the government controls at least 30 percent of essentials to stop the import-
ers' monopoly," said Mowla.
The wholesale local fabric market of Islampur also suffered due to the impact of flood and ■supply, of Indian cloths.
"Every year sale of fabrics in Islampur wholesale market is in full flow from the Shab-e-Barat to the 10th of Ramadan. But this year sales have came down to 65 percent because of the flood and the influx of Indian fabrics," said Abu Taher, a member of Islampur wholesale fabric businessmen's association.