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Small businesses battered

Star Business Report
The nationwide blockade enforced by the opposition has dealt a serious blow to small businesses and retailers, as customers remain at bay fearing violence.
As in previous day, many shopowners yesterday did not open for business in anticipation of vandalism. But some took the risk and lifted their shutters, only to be left frustrated with the meagre customer turnout.
"If the current situation continues as in the previous six months you might not see this shop here," Chinmoy Saha, who owns a store selling card-board in the city's Karwan Bazar area, said.
DC Foreign Furniture, which buys used furniture from ships in Chittagong and sells them in its store in Panthapath, did not receive even half a dozen customers despite being located on a busy shopping street in the capital.
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"We are keeping the store open, but there are no customers. We are not even able to recover the daily operational cost," said Abu Taleb, manager of the store.
Ananda City Fashion has begun piling up warm clothes in the hope of major sales ahead of the cold spell.
"We have been taking preparation for the winter for a month now, but customers are just not coming. People are scared. Women make up the majority of our customer base, but they are not coming out of fear," said Nadim Ahmed, manager of the store at the Bashundhara City Shoppi ng Mall.
The store has invested a lot of money in preparation for the winter. "Even if we make some sales in the evening, we cannot make major payment to our suppliers," headded.
The sales scenario is similar at Causia, New Market, Malibagh and other major shopping zones in the city.
Imam Hossain, whose family owns five stores in Causia, said all of their shops did
make very little sales over the last two days.
Thirty feet away Rai han sells ladies sandals. He said he could only sell 15 pairs until the evening, whereas normally he sells more than 100 pairs on weekdays and weekends.
Evening is supposed to be the busiest moment of the day for any shopowner in New Market, but for Abdul Hannan and Mohibullah this was just not the case yesterday. Instead, they were found discussing the latest political developments.
Hannan said he sold only a single piece of garment the whole day.
Mohibullah said he had wanted to store some warm clothes for the winter, but did not dare taking the risk because of bad business condition.
" I am now at another man's shop because there is no sale," he said, adding that he needs to sell products worth at least Tk 10,000 perday to keep the business running.
"If the two major parties do not find a