A strong heat wave is currently sweeping over the country and with it severe load shedding is causing immense sufferings to people. Catering to the rising demand, hand fan makers in Kushtia have doubled their production and traders are doing a thriving business selling fans made of palm leaves.
A traditional hand fan that was being sold for Tk15 to 20 in the market even a month ago is now three times costlier.
According to the workers, hand fans are the most in demand from mid-February till the end of October.
But this year the need for hand fans has increased in the last month or so because of the relentless heat and severe power cut.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department on Tuesday warned that the prevailing heat wave may continue for five to six days across the country.
Cashing in on rising demand, sellers are holding the general people hostage and asking for Tk70 per fan, complained a customer in a local market of Kushtia.
Acknowledging the situation, one of the sellers, Jewel Rana, told this correspondent that each fan used to cost Tk10 to 12 a month ago in the wholesale market. But now fan producers have increased their production to meet the growing demand and are still failing to supply enough fans in the market. Therefore, there is a shortage of palm leaf fans in local shops. He said that due to the shortage in supply sellers have increased the prices in hope of making some quick gains.
Munmun Khatun, a local college student, said she bought a fan for Tk65 to save herself from the intense heat but feels that the price is unfair.
In front of Kushtia General Hospital, each fan was being sold for Tk70. The owner of Pradhya Telecom said he was selling fans at a higher price since his buying price is high.
Habibur Rahman, a fan seller at the Kushtia railway station, said that even at the beginning of summer this year, the demand for hand fans was not so much. The increase in prices in the wholesale market has affected the retail market.
Monirul Islam, a rickshaw puller, said that there are fewer passengers now due to the heat wave during the day. He said that he is bound to go out and look for passengers regardless of the heat and thus a hand fan is his daily companion now. His fan cost him Tk60.
