Pandemic hits community centres hard
BCCCSA seeks permission to resume business
REZAUL KARIM | Tuesday, 8 September 2020
Business activities of the community and convention centres as well as catering services across the country have virtually come to a halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic, industry insiders said.
The entrepreneurs in the sector have also been facing difficulties in paying the salaries to their employees as well as utility bills, rent, various charges and so on, they added.
To offset their losses, the Bangladesh Community and Convention and Catering Services Association (BCCCSA) on September 02 sought permission from the commerce ministry to operate their community and convention centres and catering services.
Earlier on August 09, the association also requested the cabinet division to withdraw coronavirus-induced restrictions on their business.
The division then forwarded the BCCCSA's letter to the commerce ministry to take necessary action in this regard.
When contacted, BCCCSA president Md. Zakir Hossain said around 1.0 million people are involved with the sector. They are much more likely to be unemployed if the situation remains the same. So, the government should take a decision soon in this regard, he added.
"We, the members of BCCCSA, are still out of regular operation of our business since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 outbreak countrywide," the letter reads.
It added: "We have already passed two big festivals like Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha without doing any business.''
"The business of community and convention centres and catering services has collapsed in terms of earning any revenue and we are facing difficulties in paying salaries to the existing employees as well as paying common utility bills," the BCCCSA said in the letter.
They have demanded the authority give them permission to resume their business as almost all kinds of businesses are now running across the country.
"We want to resume our operation for the survival of the sector and pay the government's outstanding bills," the letter reads.
"The commerce ministry has received a letter from the BCCCSA. It is now working on the issue," a desk official of the commerce ministry said.
There are 2,000 community centres across the country. Around 200 community centres are operating in Dhaka city. The two city corporations also run some 30 community centres, Mr Zakir said.