Blockade hits farmers, businesses, workers in Khulna

KHULNA, Jan 17 (BSS): The continuous blockade of road, railway and waterway effected by BNP led 20-party alliances has hit farmers, exporters,domestic businesses and brought woes to transport workers in the city of Khulna.
Huge number of farmers and vendors in the city's kitchen markets looked anxious as they found very thin presence of customers during the last seven days.
While visiting the Sonadanga kitchen market the city, today, farmers from Dakop upazila were found very anxious with their radish, cauliflower, bean, cabbage, carrot and tomato with no buyers for their goods.
Joynal Bapery, one of the farmers, told BSS that they have come from Dakop Upazila, 30 km away from the city market, negotiating various obstructions on the way.
Joynal along with other farmers, being desperate, started selling their vegetables to passers-by, at throwaway prices.
Like Joynal, many other farmers were seen selling popular winter vegetables at very low prices at Sonadanga kitchen market.
Nazrul Islam, president of Sonadanga kitchen market told BSS, retailers as well as customers did not show interest to buy vegetables.
Meanwhile, continued blockade affected domestic business, jute and shrimp shipments.
Many trucks are waiting in the compound of jute mills and shrimp factories for loading goods for carrying them to Mongla port.
Abdul Baki, ex-vice president of Khulna Frozen Foods Exporters Association and owner of a Fish Processing plant, told BSS, "We have requested the buyers to allow us some more time. If they do not agree, we will have to sell the frozen foods (Shrimp) at local market sustaining huge loss. The losses accumulated would be huge as we cannot run factories properly due to continuous blockade".
"If we fail to ship our shrimps next week, we will have to shut ourfactories," he said.
Fazlu Sharif, owner of a Jute Trading company told BSS, "Our business has come to a total halt due to continuous blockade".
The burden of bank interest rising along with the pressure to pay salaries to the workers, he said adding that if they could not make shipment of jutes through Mongla Port urgently they would get rotten.
The blockade brings woes to about 12,000 transport workers in Khulna. Most of them-drivers, conductors and helpers of buses, trucks and pick up vans- are passing very hard days with their families.
While visiting the Sonadanga Central Bus Terminal and City's Truck Terminal yesterday noon, transport workers were seen sleeping or sitting idle there.
Zakir Hossain Biplob, president of motor bus workers union told BSS that transport workers have become direct victims of the blockade.
Every day, BNP-led 20 party alliance holds rally in front of city BNP
office at K D Ghosh road with police cordoning. BNP city unit president and ex-lawmaker of Khulna-2 constituency Nazrul Islam Monzu preside over the rallies.