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Cash shortage hits city dwellers, patients most affected

July 24, 2024 00:00:00


Residents of Dhaka, particularly patients admitted in hospitals, are facing a shortage of cash as banks as well as digital transaction is off due to lack of internet service and ongoing curfew across the country, reports UNB.

Patients admitted in hospitals across the capital cannot buy necessary medicine due to cash shortage. Families of patients have been managing necessary expenditures and getting medicine by borrowing at shops.

Jamal Uddin, a cardiac patient admitted at Mohakhali Chest Disease Hospital 11 days ago, has been facing hardship due to cash shortage.

Kolpona Akter (30), Jamal Uddin's daughter, said she cannot buy medicine and food due to cash shortage. Her brothers are working in Saudi Arabia, and have sent money to a bank for their father's treatment on July 16.

Kolpona could not make a bank transaction as violence escalated over quota protest last week.

"We need Tk 3,500 every day for medicine and other expenditures. We have enough money in the bank, but cannot take out cash at present," she pointed out.

Like Kolpona, thousands of people are suffering the consequences of banks, ATM services, and mobile financial services remaining off.

Abdul Haque, a retired government official, living at Eskaton area of Dhaka, told this correspondent that he did not keep cash money at house.

"After internet services were cut off, we cannot make mobile financial transactions or withdraw money from the bank. I don't know how to maintain daily expenditure despite having money in the bank," he lamented.


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