Cumilla Correspondent

Lockdown in corona period and strict restrictions have incurred loss atleast Tk 60 cr to the highway hotel business owners in Cumilla.

About 5,000 workers and employees have lost their jobs in this crisis. The hotel business suffered a total of 33 days of severe lockdown, including 19 days from July 1 to July 14 to prevent the upward transmission of coronavirus in Bangladesh and from July 23 to August 10 after the celebration of Eid al-Adha. Many are leaving the hotel business for fear of not being able to recover from the financial crisis. According to the bank's policy, businessmen who do not lend money to the hotel business cannot become bankers. Meanwhile, three-quarters of the workers and employees lost their jobs after the hotel was closed for a long time. Many of them are involved in vegetable and hawker business.

According to sources, there are more than 100 hotels and restaurants on both sides of the 104-kilometer road from Daudkandi to Chauddagram on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Comilla. More than sixty of these hotels and restaurants are dependent on business transportation. The hotel business, which was closed due to strict restrictions in the second wave of Corona, has lost around three crore rupees on an average daily. About 5,000 workers have been laid off in these 60 establishments on an average of 60 people. The vegetable and hawker business has chosen to save the lives of these workers and employees by losing their hotel jobs. No one was there to help the hoteliers during this crisis in Corona. Many hoteliers are leaving the business without getting any financial support from the government or banks.The 33-day lockdown before and after Eid-ul-Adha ended on August 10.

M. Mukit Tipu, president of the Cumilla District Hotel and Restaurant Owners' Association, said the highway hotel business in Cumilla would not return to normal if the hotel traders could not overcome the crisis soon after the lockdown was relaxed. He said the Cumilla Highway hotel and restaurant business collapsed during the Corona Lockdown crisis. There are more than a hundred hotels and restaurants on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. The second wave of corona outbreaks began again this year before last year's corona outbreak was stopped and business losses were off. The hotel and public transport sectors are closed due to severe lockdown to prevent this terrible corona infection. Billions of rupees are being lost daily in the highway hotels as they are closed due to various restrictions. Faced with this loss, the hotel owners are laying off three-quarters of the workers and employees. The rest have provided some assistance to the workers and employees.

He added that about 50 percent of highway hotel owners who are on daily losses are rumored to be leaving the business. Can't leave with declaration as it is connected with transport with security. Because these highway hotel businesses are coming into agreement with transport owners. Although the lockdown has eased, the government's cooperation is needed to overcome the crisis.
It is learned that about 300 workers were working at the Nurjahan Hotel located next to Bishwaroad Highway in Comilla's Paduar Bazar. Due to the closure of business in Corona Lockdown, only 15 workers are currently working. Where 265 out of 300 workers have lost their jobs.

This Nur Jahan Hotel is one of the few named highway hotels in Comilla and all over Bangladesh. During normal hours, the hotel sells 4-5 lakh rupees daily. The sale of Nurjahar Hotel was completely stopped due to the Corona crisis.

The same situation has been created in the Corona Crisis, including Hotel Zamzam, Highway Inn, Cumilla Highway Inn, Dhaka Highway Inn, Matrubhandar 1 and 2, Miami 1 and 2, Birti, Nurmahal, Taj Mahal, Mainamati Highway Inn and Blue Diamond.

Muktar Hossain, owner of the Blue Diamond Hotel in Cumilla, said he was in a lot of trouble in the hotel business during the Corona crisis. Even though the hotel was closed in the lockdown, all kinds of bills including rent, gas and electricity had to be paid. For the first few days, the workers were forced to lay off even though they were paid. About three-quarters of the workers at his hotel could not keep up with the crisis. He did not open the hotel even for a day after 33 days of severe lockdown before and after Eid. He has become indebted to the tune of lakhs of rupees for paying monthly rent and bills in the lockouts.

Mizanur Rahman, a worker who lost his job at a hotel in Corona, said he used to work for a daily wage at a large hotel next to the Comilla highway. The hotel was closed when the lockdown started in Corona before Eid-ul-Adha. The owner forbade him from going to work as he was working in the hotel in Daily Mujri. There are mothers, wife and children in the family. Corona started a vegetable business in a van to support her family in the crisis.

Mizanur Rahman further said that there are many others like him in crisis who have lost their jobs and are doing vegetable and hawker business.

Nasir Uddin Ahmed, general secretary of the Cumilla District Shop Owners Association, said hoteliers had lost crores of rupees in the Corona crisis. Similarly, three-quarters of the workers have lost their jobs due to the closure of hotels for a long time. In the Corona crisis, these hoteliers did not get any incentive from the government. Banks are also giving loans to hoteliers outside their policy. Due to which, even if the Corona lockdown is over, it will be impossible for many hoteliers to turn around.

Cumilla Additional Deputy Commissioner (Overall) Mohammad Shahadat Hossain said, "We are not aware of any incentive for hoteliers in crisis in Corona." However, if any application is made on behalf of the Hotel Owners Association. Then we will discuss the above to get their motivation.