People from all walks of life, regardless of caste or religion, have come together to provide relief to flood victims.
Across the capital and throughout the country, many have stepped forward to offer assistance according to their means.
In the capital, relief donors have been actively participating in collection drives, with various social organizations, including the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, general students from colleges and universities, and city residents, rushing to the flood-affected areas to gather relief materials.
Due to the surge in demand for relief goods, prices have already increased in the capital's markets. There are reports that traders have hiked the prices of essential items such as flattened rice, puffed rice, jaggery, candles, and other necessary relief materials, citing a supply crisis.
From grocery stores in Old Dhaka to Chawkbazar, Moulvibazar, and Karwan Bazar, the prices of these items have soared.
However, traders argue that the price rise is due to supply falling short of demand.
A visit to several markets in the capital revealed that people from various backgrounds, including college and university students, have been flocking to purchase flattened rice, puffed rice, jaggery, and candles for the past few days to provide relief to flood victims.
As the demand for dry food and other essentials has risen, shopkeepers have been selling these products at higher prices, claiming a shortage in supply.
On Tuesday, a group of students from Kabi Nazrul Government College visited Moulvibazar, Old Dhaka's wholesale market, to purchase dry food for flood victims.
Their team leader, Mehdi Hasan, said: “We came here to buy dry food to support 400 families. Another team from our campus had previously helped flood victims. However, the same shopkeepers are now asking for higher prices, particularly for flattened rice and puffed rice.”
He added: “The traders are selling puffed rice at Tk8-10 more per kg, and flattened rice has increased by about Tk20 per kg. As we are here to help the flood victims, we had no choice but to buy at these higher prices. I couldn't even find candles after searching through all the shops in the Chawk Bazar area. Shopkeepers claim that the supply is not meeting the demand, causing this crisis.”
Raihan Ahmed, a student of Jagannath University, also visited Chawk Bazar to buy dry food for flood victims.
He said: “Every department at Jagannath University is providing support to the flood victims separately, and the general students are also contributing together. I came to buy dry food for 200 people on behalf of my department, as well as essential items like candles, medicine, and sanitary pads for women.”
Raihan noted that along with flattened rice and puffed rice, the price of jaggery has increased by Tk10 per kg.
He added: “I couldn't find candles anywhere in Chawk Bazar. One shopkeeper had them, but I had to pay Tk15 for candles that were previously Tk10. While many businessmen are standing by the flood victims, some unscrupulous traders are exploiting the situation by increasing prices. The Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection should monitor the market more closely during this time.”
Regarding the candle shortage, Jamal Chishti, a wholesale candle trader in Chawk Bazar, said that the demand for candles has tripled due to the floods.
"Manufacturers are struggling to meet the demand, so we are unable to supply enough to customers. The limited stock we receive is being sold at a higher price," he said.
Students from different parts of the capital were seen purchasing relief materials and loading them onto vans and pickups at Kawran Bazar on Wednesday afternoon.
The same scene continued into the evening.
At the flattened-puffed rice shop on the ground floor of Kawran Bazar's kitchen market, a group of five people came to buy 100kg of puffed rice and 100kg of flattened rice, but shopkeeper Ramzan Ali told them that his shop had no supply and asked them to check back in the evening.
A group of students from Titumir College was also seen purchasing supplies at Kawran Bazar. One of them said: “Despite paying in advance, I couldn’t buy jaggery. The shopkeeper said it arrived today, but the price had increased by Tk30 per kg. Whether it's a real or artificial crisis, the authorities need to address this issue.”
Abdul Matin, a businessman from Chawk Bazar, mentioned that there is a shortage of almost all essential items, including flattened rice, puffed rice, jaggery, and candles. "Prices have increased, and even after taking advance payments from customers, we are struggling to deliver the products on time because we can't source them as needed. I hope this crisis will be resolved soon," he said.
Rabiul Islam, a trader at Kawran Bazar, added: “We are not receiving the products as per the demand from manufacturers. Factories are unable to supply sufficient goods, leading to a reduction in availability. Previously, I bought sugarcane jaggery at Tk100-110 per kg, but now it costs Tk120-125. The wholesale price of loose flattened rice has also increased by Tk10-12 per kg. The limited stock we receive is sold out before it even hits the shelves.”
