Eid fails to touch monga-hit
Anwar Ali, Rajshahi
Although a large number of last-minute Eid shoppers are cramming into markets, the festivity could not touch the poverty-striken people of the northern region of the country.
The poverty due to crises of job and food have overshadowed Eid celebration of the underprivileged hundreds, many of whom are flocking to shopping centres at district and upazila headquarters for begging alms.
During this period, the poor people usually suffer from monga, a near- famine situation, following lack of agricultural work and food shortage.
The situation is likely to persist till the harvest in December, said the government officials, adding that the situation has however improved a bit following various government measurers.
"The main buyers at Eid markets in northern region are the villagers. So the traders are also facing dull markets in their absence. Most farmers and day labourers are still in severe hardships," said Mustafijur Rahman, a businessman.
"The markets are crowded, but the business is still low as the potential buyers are yet to come," said Rabiul Hasan, an owner of garment shop at RDA market.
The situation has aggravated following unaffordable prices of daily essentials.
"Many of those who live at villages, especially on the shoals and banks the Padma, depend on khud (broken rice), arum and available vegetables as only foodstuffs," said Abul Kalam Azad, a union council member of Khidirpur shoal.
Miraj Hossain, a farmer of Talanda union under Tanore upazila, said he had sold his goat to buy a dress for his eight-year-old daughter.
The poverty due to crises of job and food have overshadowed Eid celebration of the underprivileged hundreds, many of whom are flocking to shopping centres at district and upazila headquarters for begging alms.
During this period, the poor people usually suffer from monga, a near- famine situation, following lack of agricultural work and food shortage.
The situation is likely to persist till the harvest in December, said the government officials, adding that the situation has however improved a bit following various government measurers.
"The main buyers at Eid markets in northern region are the villagers. So the traders are also facing dull markets in their absence. Most farmers and day labourers are still in severe hardships," said Mustafijur Rahman, a businessman.
"The markets are crowded, but the business is still low as the potential buyers are yet to come," said Rabiul Hasan, an owner of garment shop at RDA market.
The situation has aggravated following unaffordable prices of daily essentials.
"Many of those who live at villages, especially on the shoals and banks the Padma, depend on khud (broken rice), arum and available vegetables as only foodstuffs," said Abul Kalam Azad, a union council member of Khidirpur shoal.
Miraj Hossain, a farmer of Talanda union under Tanore upazila, said he had sold his goat to buy a dress for his eight-year-old daughter.
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