The indefinite blockade and the intermittent hartals enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance is now taking toll on the rice industry threatening the food security of the country to a great extent.
In Jaipurhat district, almost 400 rice mills have either closed down or are operating in a limited capacity as the supply chain has been hit hard by the non-stop blockade. Hundreds of workers, who live mostly hand to mouth, of these mills have become unemployed as a result.
The owners of these rice mills said they were not being able to buy or sell rice due to transport crisis. If the situation continues, they fear to go bankrupt ultimately affecting the whole industry.
There are 501 rice mills, including 13 auto rice mills, in Jaipurhat. This year, the government fixed a collection target of 8081 metric tonnes of rice for the district. With the February 24 deadline for collecting rice fast approaching, the rice mills were able to provide 6590 metric tonnes of rice so far.
However, it is now unsure whether the mills would be able to provide the rest of the rice given the broken-down transportation system.
A visit to the Pachshira bazar of Kalai upazila on Thursday had found many rice mills bearing the brunt of the political instability.
Ms Firoz Auto Rice Mill has been closed for the last 15 days. 43 workers of the mill are spending idle time.
Owner of the mill Abdul Bari said he was forced to shut down the mill due to the blockade. Three of his trucks have also been stranded.
“If this continues, I will be doomed,” he feared.
Mill workers Manzila, Tajli, Ferdous and Rezaul said they were forced to borrow from the owner to survive. Many of them have been passing days with no food.
Another rice mill in the same area, however, was seen to be operating with limited capacity. About 10-12 workers were drying the paddy.
Miller Abdul Aziz said though he had stored a good amount of rice, he had not been able to sell them due to transport crisis. He also feared that he might have to close down the mill soon if the situation did not improve.
Three F Food Processing Limited, another company of the same owner, had been shut down leaving 40 workers unemployed. The factory used to process the rice and distribute them in packets across the country.
Worker Khorshed Alam and Saiful Islam said their daily earning, when the mill was operational, was Tk500 a day. But now they are not even able to manage daily food let alone pay the NGO loan installment.
Owner Abdul Aziz said: “Since the blockade started, I have not been
able to sell rice. My bank interest is increasing day by day. I do not know what to do.”
Bari Auto Rice Mill at Jaipuhat town is facing a similar situation. Workers of this mill are looking for alternative work.
Manager of the mill Sarwar Hossain said: “At least ten trucks have been torched in the district since the blockade began. That is why we are not being able to collect rice or sell whatever we have. 35 of our workers have no income source now.” He expressed frustration over the political situation hoping that the political leaders would find a solution soon.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners’ Association of the district, K M Layek Ali said: “The transportation system has broken down. 80 percent rice mills of the district have closed down and the rest are also facing crisis. The sector will go bankrupt and affect the food security of the country if this continues.”
He urged the political parties to settle the crisis without delay.
Chowdhury Mosabber Hossain Khan, food controller of Jaipurhat said they had collected much of the rice as per their target from the 501 millers of the district. And he hoped the rest would be collected too within the deadline.
He however did not comment on the crisis faced by the rice mills due to the political instability.