Compensate before Eid

Fire-affected Bangabazar shop owners called upon the government on Friday to pay them compensation before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
They demanded that the government pay each of them between Tk 50,000 and Tk0.1 million as compensation.
They placed the demand at a press briefing organised by Jatiya Dokan Karmochari Federation held at the National Press Club in the capital.
The traders warned that they will march towards the Prime Minister's Office if they were not paid compensation by 20th June.
They said around 5,000 shops were gutted by the devastating fire at Bangabazar in April this year affecting 15,000 traders.
They calculated the total affected traders' number at 15,000 by assuming three at each shop.
They also said they have collected signatures of 6,000 fire victim traders to realise compensation from the government.
Amirul Haque Amin, general secretary of the federation, said the affected traders at Bangabazar received a total of Tk200 million (Tk20 crore) as compensation; but the shop owners and also workers did not get even a single penny as compensation from the government.
He added the affected shop owners and workers have been passing a tough time due to financial crisis.
Mr Haque also lamented that none came forward to assist them at the time of their needs.
He further said the traders and workers and their family members could not afford medical expenses if any of them gets sick.
He also said they will hand over memorandums to the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, the local member of parliament, deputy commissioner of Dhaka, Bangladesh Shops Owners Association and the state minister for labour and employment between June 12 and 17.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com