Shahid Miah opened his small, makeshift shop at Purana Paltan intersection to sell nuts as usual Monday afternoon, one and a half days after he closed it.

But Shahid, whose only source of income is selling nuts, looked worried because his customers have thinned out due to the ongoing political unrest.

He usually sells Tk 500 to Tk 700 a day to provide for his family that lives in Bhairab. "I have sold worth only Tk 6 in an hour starting at 2:00pm. I am worried because of the poor sales," said the 52-year-old vendor.

Like him, all the traders including roadside vendors and tea stall and restaurant owners were going through a very dull day in Purana Paltan, Jatiya Press Club and Supreme Court areas.

Centring on the BNP-led opposition's "March for Democracy" programme, the most violent of protests have occurred in the areas in the last two days, traders said.

“Most people are avoiding the places for fear of vandalism," said Zafar Iqbal, a roadside tea vendor near the main entrance to the Jatiya Press Club.

In its efforts to foil the Sunday programme, the government has sealed off the capital from the rest of the country since Thursday evening.

Iqbal's sales bring inTk 2,500 on a normal day. Due to the government-imposed unofficial blockade, however, the amount came down to only aroundTk 600yesterday.

Kamal Chandra Das, a cobbler, had the same story to tell. He sat idle near the main entrance to Shikkha Bhaban on Abdul Gani Road, hoping a customer would stop by.

He earned a meagre Tk 70 till afternoon, barely enough to buy food for his family of seven.

"I usually do not come out on a hartal or blockade day, but now that it has become a regular affair, I have no other option."

Kamal said he usually earns Tk 400-500 a day, but his earnings drop to Tk 100-150 during a shutdown.

The cobbler, who lives in Madartek in Dhaka, has borrowed around Tk 15,000 in the last two months to feed the family, he said.

Street vendor Shukur Ali, who sells pottery near Doel Chattar at Dhaka University, has also been witnessing a

sluggish business.

He sells around Tk 10,000 on an average day. But his sales have plummeted by 90 percent over the last two months thanks to the political unrest, said Ali. “Even today, 1 can'tsell anything worth a penny."

GFC Restaurant, which sells snacks, plain rice, biriani and Chinese food at Purana Paltan, is incurring losses of around Tk 10,000 a day due to the frequent blockades and shutdowns, said restaurant owner Md Abu Kawsar Chowdhury.

On a normal day, the transaction of the restaurant hovers between Tk 50,000 and Tk 60,000. But the sales now barely cross the Tk 5,000 mark, he said.

He has been compelled to lay off seven out of the total 35 restaurant staff due to sluggish business in the last two months, he said. "I will have to shut down the restaurant if the present situation continues to the next month."

Over the past one month, the opposition has enforced countrywide blockade of roads, rail and waterways for 22 days in phases. Violent clashes, arson attacks and killings happened almost daily, claiming at least 120 lives.

Between November 26 and December 24, only seven days were free from blockades - four Fridays, two holidays for the Martyred Intellectuals Day and the Victory Day and December 15, when the Jamaat called a hartal to protest the execution of its leader QuaderMollah for war crimes.