Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has called on the wealthy to help the cold-stricken low-income people. "It's our moral and social responsibility to help those people who are leading miserable lives in this severe cold without winter essentials," BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said Wednesday during a winter clothes distribution programme in Dhaka. Read more: BGMEA for Bangladesh mission's support for explore more trade opportunities in Canada "We should not forget that winter is an extremely tough time for many vulnerable men, women, children and families across the country, especially in the northern part. This is where you can step in and lend your support," he added.

The prices of all varieties of rice have gone up in the wholesale and retail markets of Bagerhat, creating a suffocating condition for the low-income group people who are already plagued by price hikes of daily essentials. Wholesale and retail rice markets in the district are witnessing an increase in rice prices by Tk 10 per kilogram and Tk 150 per 25kg sack. Both the buyers and rice traders are finding it hard to procure rice as per their demands. Traders alleged that rice prices have soared due to syndication by rice mill owners. While visiting Chaupatti and Nagerbazar wholesale rice markets, the UNB correspondent found that both the buyers and sellers were engaging in altercations over rice price hike. The rice traders were blaming rise in fuel prices for increases in rice prices.  On the contrary, consumers were returning home with rice less than the amount bought by them previously. In wholesale markets, the staple is being sold at rates between Tk 50 to Tk 85 per kg. Even price of coarse rice has also seen an increase by Tk 5 per kg. Rice traders are asking for prices according to their wish, while rice are being sold in the village markets at higher prices due to multiple handovers. Read: OMS: Rice to be available at Tk 15 per kg from Sep 1 Pradeep Kumar Saha, a wholesaler of Nagerbazar area, said that they are receiving less rice than they’ve ordered. “If we order 100 sacks of rice, we only get 20 of them which is creating a crisis. So rice prices have gone up by Tk 6 to Tk 10 per kg. Fuel price hike and syndication by the rice millers are behind this situation,” Pradeep said. Prabir Saha, a retailer from Falpatti area, also blamed syndication by the rice millers behind rice price hike. “Prices of rice have increased by Tk 150 to Tk 200 per sack (25 kg) within just one week. We’re regularly facing customers’ wrath for selling rice at a high prices. The situation is such that we may have to stop doing business altogether,” Prabir said. Gopal Saha, a wholesaler of Nagerbazar, said that people from the lower income bracket is feeling the real punch as the rice variant that they buy is out of stock most of the time. Taposh Saha, a rice trader from Chaulpatti, said that they can’t even buy rice in the evening at the rate at which they had bought rice in the morning. “We’ve nothing to do except selling rice at the rate of purchase,” said Taposh. Md Belal Sheikh, a consumer, said that he had bought a 25 kg sack of rice at Tk 1,300 15 days ago, which he now has to buy at Tk 1,450. Nasima Begum, another buyer, said that she came to buy a 25kg sack of rice but instead bought only 10kg due to exorbitant prices. “Rice prices are varying from shop to shop. Traders are asking for prices as they wish. I’m confused about what to do but as prices of almost every essential item is on the rise,” said Nasima. Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bagerhat Mohammad Azizur Rahman said that he is aware of the rice price hike in local markets. “We’re monitoring the market regularly. We’ll conduct drives by mobile court so that no one can sell rice at exorbitant prices,” said the DC.

As Eid-ul-Fitr is knocking on the doors, many poor and low-income people look to be on shopping sprees like the well-off classes, as everyone gets ready to celebrate the biggest religious festival with their near and dear ones. Shoppers on low-budget are swarming the makeshift shops on footpaths and open spaces for buying dresses of their choices and other desired items, including shoes, sandals, cosmetics and jewelry, at cheaper prices. Hundreds of temporary shops have been set up on the footpaths and open spaces in the most busy areas of the city, targeting mainly the low-income group of eid shoppers. According to vendors, many middle-class buyers are also flocking to their stalls as they have outfits of various colours and designs and all other products like that of the posh shopping malls at reasonable prices. Also read: Dhaka to see Eid exodus from Thursday as millions set to head home The footpath sellers also said they are drawing good customers as people have got a chance for shopping in full swing after a break of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Visiting different parts of the city on Thursday and Friday, it was seen that people were crowding around the makeshift shops in Gulistan, Bangabazar, Mothijheel, Baitul Mukarram , Paltan, New Market, Jatrabari, Fakirerpool, Mouchak, Rampura, Badda and Mirpur areas. The vendors were seen trying to woo customers by displaying various items of girls' attires, children's clothes, cosmetics, men's, wears like jeans and gabardine pants, shirts, T-shirts, panjabis, trousers, footwear, belts, caps, lungis, wallets and toys.

Bangladesh Bank has restructured its refinancing scheme with Tk 500 crore for low-income group people holding bank accounts of Tk 10, 50 and 100. Earlier, it was a Tk 200 crore fund with refinancing facilities and the Tk 500-crore new fund has been set up with the central bank's own support. According to a Bangladesh Bank circular, issued on Sunday, the new fund was named as 'Refinancing Scheme for Marginal, Landless Farmers, Low Income Professionals, School Banking Account Holders and Small Businesses with Tk 10, 50 and 100 accounts. Also read: Bangladesh Bank, IBBL sign automated challan system agreement The central bank said the refinancing scheme, having 5 years’ operational tenure with extending scope, was set up to extend financial support to the low-income people to offset the effect of the Covid-19 that severely affected their businesses. The fund could be rotating within the stipulated period. The central bank said the scheme will be used for providing loans to small and micro entrepreneurs and professionals, blacksmiths, potters, fishermen, landless farmers, hawkers, shopkeepers and rickshaw pullers. Each account holder of the groups will be able to take a loan of up to Tk 5 lakh without deposit or collateral while a group could take up to Tk 20 lakh. Also read: Bangladesh banks on preferential trade terms to boost export earnings The maximum interest rate on this loan will be 7 percent but no loan defaulter will be eligible to avail of it. The Financial Inclusion Department of the Bangladesh Bank restructured the new scheme and issued a policy in this regard. It said the credit limit and the amount of funds have been increased to recover and revive the economic activities of low-income professionals and small traders affected by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday announced five new packages, involving Tk 3200 crore, to assist people with little income or no income. These packages will be used to assist the low-income group of people who have been hit hard by the restrictions imposed due to the ongoing lockdown amid the alarming spread of coronavirus, said a PMO media release signed by PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim. Read:Help achieve green recovery of CVF-V20 countries: Hasina to developed nations Of the total amount, Tk 450 crore will be given to 1437,389 day-labourers, 235,033 transport workers, 50,445 small businesspeople and 1,603 shipping workers.  Some 1724,740 people will get Tk 2,500 each. To assist the low-income group of people living in urban areas, the government will conduct a special 14-day open market sale (OMS) from July 25 to August 7 across the country through 813 centres. For this, the media release said, 20,000 mt of rice and 14,000 mt of flour worth Tk 150 crire have been allocated. Read: Stimulus packages: Experts, stakeholders for speedy disbursement to CMSMEs

Although some 2,000 people used to move to Dhaka every day from across the country seeking a better life barely six months back, many are now leaving the capital, thanks to Covid-19 pandemic.

The national budget for 2020-21 fiscal year, which is likely to be around Tk 565,000 crore, is going to give priority to reviving the economy with the rehabilitation of low-income people, the worst sufferers of COVID-19 havoc, according to official sources.

Leaders of organisations, working for rights of low-income people, demanded waiver of rent for slum dwellers as they have become jobless due to nationwide shutdown aimed curbing the spread of coronavirus.

As coronavirus crisis upended their livelihoods, tens of thousands of poor people and day-labourers in the capital are now worried about maintaining a roof over their heads as they are unable to pay house rents.

Low-income people, especially slum dwellers, who have been left with no work amid the nationwide shutdown aimed at curbing the coronavirus were seen waiting at different intersections of the city on Sunday in the hope of getting food and relief materials.