A messy situation has been created in the businesses of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangladesh calendar, due to onslaught of deadly novel coronavirus putting the country’s economy at a stake.
Bussinessmen, who took preparation to run a brisk business rounding the Pahela Baishak, also the country’s biggest cultural festival, are now apprehending to incur losses at around Tk 30,000 crore in this season as they can’t carry their trading under the lockdown imposed by the government centering the novel coronavirus epidemic.
As a result, they see darkness and are looking for way how to survive.
It is known by everyone that, Pahela Baishakh is a largest traditional festival of Bengali culture. Businesses get momentum each year during this season rounding the Baishakhi festival. Cities or towns even remote villages used to wear with a festive mood centering the Pahela Baishakh each year. Baishaki fairs used to arrange at different places in the country along with availability of various local goods including earthenware and native dresses. People used to take taste of different traditional foods like Panta-Ilish’ (Hilsha), Doi-Chira’ on the first day of Bengali year.
But, this year, all the arrangements have become inverted due to onslaught of deadly coronavirus across the world. The government has already stopped all the function in a bid to tackle the outbreak of coronavirus. Consequently, a negative impact has fallen on the Pahela Baishakh related all businesses that may cause of incur Tk 15,000 crore directly and Tk 30,000 crore indirectly, experts said.
Local traders said, each year, clothing industries earn huge amount of money centering the Pahela Baishakh. The sale of Hilsha fishes goes up and trade of potteries gets momentum.
But, this year all the businesses have been halted as people can’t get out of homes in fear of coronavirus infection under the undeclared lockdown.
All the Pahela Baishakh based businesses are now facing catastrophe. Among the traders, entrepreneurs of small and medium sector are worst affected as there is a high demand of SME goods rounding the Pahela Baishakh festival.
Nogen Chandra, a potter of Bhadraghat village in Sirajganj district told The Daily Industry that he has no way to reclaim the losses as he produced huge number of earthenware ahead of Pahela Baishakh after taking Tk 3 lakh as loan from a local NGO. But now, his all products have remained unsold due to lockdown for corona outbreak.
Abdul Kashem, a fish trader of Karwan Bazar said, I used to run brisk business of Hilsha fishes and earn good profit each year ahead of Pahela Baishakh.
But, this year, there is no selling and purchasing of Hilsha fishes due to lack of customers in the market during the Pahela Baishakh, he said.
Like Nogen and Kashem, many traders have now sat on the way incurring huge losses for want of selling. Even, they don’t have any idea how to overcome the situation, many sufferers said.
Helal Uddin, President of Shop Owners Association said, Businessmen especially the small and medium entrepreneurs invested around 20 percent higher money than the previous years. But, all the preparations have wasted due to onslaught of coronavirus. Many traders can’t pay the salaries of their workers. They are now leading miserable life along with their family members.
Dr Khandakar Golam Moazzem, Research Director of CPD said, Only the government can protect the small and medium entrepreneurs by creating various opportunities for them. Otherwise, they will face dire consequences in future damaging the backbone of country’s economy.
Daily Industry