Traders demand shops, markets open on 5 Aug

The Bangladesh Shop Owners' Association has demanded that the government allow them to open all kinds of shops, markets, and shopping malls when the current strict lockdown ends on 5 August. 

At a press conference held in the office of the Newmarket Shop Owners' Association in the capital on Sunday, the organisation said that since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, shops and markets have been closed for around 270 days due to lockdowns at various times, which has caused  traders from nine sectors a loss of about Tk27 lakh crore.

The nine sectors include Bangladesh Shops Owners' Association, Bangladesh International Hotel Association, Bangladesh Tiles Businessmen's Association, and the Bangladesh Community Center Owners' Association. 

The traders' organisation has also made a four-point demand including arranging nationwide vaccinations, deploying law enforcement agencies to ensure hygiene rules and the wearing of masks, and providing quick cash incentives to traders affected by the pandemic.

"There are around 55 lakh small and micro businesses in Bangladesh and more than two crore people work in this sector. They are living a miserable life with their families in this difficult situation," Shop Owners' Association President, Helal Uddin, told reporters. 

"So, for the sake of the businessmen, we demand that the authorities allow us to open shops once the ongoing strict lockdown ends," he added.