Sylhet Bureau

Sylhet's economy suffered a further collapse in the continuous blockade programme across the country. Experts claim that the economy is in such a state that business is not running properly during the blockade-strike.

They say, Sylhet is one of the richest cities in the country. Natural disasters hit the region more. As a result, Sylhet is under economic threat at least once a year. But this time the picture is different. Sylhet is under the pressure of strike-blockade after Corona, flood. Due to the fear of vandalism and clashes, the traffic has come to a standstill in public life. Business is not going well. Big traders are disappointed. As a result, the economy of the region is under serious threat.

According to Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry sources, the ongoing blockade of BNP-Jamaat is causing a financial loss of about 300 crore rupees daily in Sylhet district. When talking to some of the top businessmen of Bandar Bazar in Sylhet city, they said that political violence has affected all aspects of Sylhet. Trade, the main driving force of the economy, has been disrupted by the continuous blockade. There is economic depression in the city. The people of Sylhet are crying silently.

When I talked to some leaders of the Bandar Bazar Merchants Association, they said that the business has collapsed due to continuous blockades and strikes. The workers are not able to leave the house normally. The business that used to be done in one day, now it is not done even in three days. Nothing is happening in the siege panic. The wheels of the economy are coming off.

Abul Hossain, the former president of Companiganj Press Club, known as Pathar Rajya, said that the people of Companiganj are suffering greatly due to continuous strike and blockade. Nothing is happening properly. Upazila's lucrative stone business, sand business is almost closed. Laborers are unable to work regularly. Although the shops in the market are somewhat open, there is no sale at all. If this situation continues, people will die of hunger due to financial crisis.

Meanwhile, the tourist centers of Sylhet, which have contributed greatly to the economy, are also suffering from tourist drought. As a result there has been stagnation in the life of businessmen and workers there. Due to the lack of expected tourists, the tourism traders and those involved in this sector are facing financial loss.
The people concerned claim that they have faced huge losses due to the lack of tourists coming to Sylhet due to the blockade in the last one week.

President of Sylhet Tourism Club Humayun Kabir Liton said, the tourism season starts in Sylhet from October. Sylhet is crowded with millions of tourists in November-December. But at the beginning of the tourist season Sylhet has become devoid of tourists due to BNP-Jamaat rally, strike and blockade. Tourism related people are in trouble. He sought the government's cooperation to compensate these losses.

It is to be noted that an hour and a half after the start of the much-discussed general meeting of the BNP in Nayapaltan on October 28, there was a clash with the workers of the ruling party and the police in Kakrail. In no time, violent clashes broke out in Nayapaltan, causing the rally to break up midway. Since then BNP, Jamaat and other like-minded people have been carrying out hartal and blockade programmes piecemeal.