The country’s booming flower business has hit hard in the wake of the non-stop countrywide blockade being enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance to press home its demand for a fresh general poll under a neutral caretaker administration.
The sales volume of the locally produced flowers has witnessed a drastic fall both in retailers and farmers’ level even during the peak season for blossom.
According to an estimate of Bangladesh Flower Society, the sector has witnessed a loss of about Tk4 crore in Jessore, Chuadanga and Jhenaidah due to the ongoing political unrest since January 5 this year. The bigger scenario, however, could not be ascertained, as all the related data are not yet available.
The months of December, January and February are also considered as the peak season also for the traders to sell flowers at a huge scale as most of the social programmes like wedding, marriage anniversary and circumcision are organised during this period, said the cultivators and the retailers.
Sales of flower have declined sharply as all the social programmes have come to a total halt due to the ongoing political stalemate across the country, said Md Billal Hossain, owner of Bristy VIP Full Ghor at Shahbag.
“Sales of flowers came down to around Tk1,500 to Tk2000, which was at least Tk20,000 per day during the normal time, said Hossain.
Per day flower sales of Shahbag area were around Tk2.5 lakh to Tk3 lakh, which now stands not more than Tk75,000, according to Flower Traders Association, Shahbagh.
The organisation also claimed that the flower traders at Shahbagh were incurring losses of Tk1.5 lakh per day.
The flower traders of Shahbagh and other parts of the city have suffered severe losses in third consecutive years since 2013 due to political unrest specially during the demonstration by Ganajagaran Mancha at Shahbagh and political unrest centering the January 5 national polls last year, Md Jakaria, owner of Madhobi Pushpo Kunja, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Price of flower came down sharply due to lack of demands in the retail market in the city areas as the transportation cost has also increased three times, said Md Abdur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Flower Society.
“The fare rose to Tk800 from previous Tk250. We are currently sending few flowers to Dhaka and Chittagong due to low demands and high transportation cost,” he added.
Farmers, who cultivated flowers taking loans from banks or any other sources are in great troubles as they are unable to sell their products being rotten in the field, said Rahman.
Due to the ongoing violent political programme, people can hardly come to the shops to buy flowers while social programme are also not being arranged on security grounds, said Naimur Rahman of Naim Pushpo Bitan.
Usually, various flowers, like rose, tuberose, zerbera, gladiolus, marigold, chrysanthemum and orchid etc are sold in different market across the country.
“We have changed the wedding date twice due to the ongoing political unrest but now we have no option but holding the wedding ceremony as my brother has to leave Dhaka for Italy shortly, said Nawrin, who was purchasing some flowers at Shahbagh.
“The politics of violence has paralysed the normal life of the city dwellers and we cannot go out to even to buy some essential goods.”