<i>Dearth of coins makes a dent in buyers' pockets</i>
Dearth of coins and two-taka notes in the markets of northern districts is making a dent in the buyers' pockets as shopkeepers are allegedly forcing them to buy toffees instead of returning small exchanges.
Sometimes shopkeepers ask the buyers to take the remaining money during the next purchase.
“Such a practice, now common among the sellers of various items including groceries, has become a source of extra income for the traders. Even in buses, you have to accept toffees from the conductor instead of change to be returned," said Md Morshedur Rahman of Baluadanga village in Dinajpur Sadar upazila.
Several customers said every shopkeeper in the area keeps toffee containers to earn extra money under the pretext of coin shortage.
During visits to different northern districts including Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Joypurhat and Rangpur, it was found that even traders who do not usually sell toffees now store it in big containers.
They are doing it apparently to make additional business taking the advantage of coin crisis, said locals.
"I purchased an item worth Tk 8 and gave the shopkeeper a ten-taka note. The shopkeeper forced me to buy toffees for the rest of the amount, although he had coins," said Md Khalilur Rahman, a resident of Panchbibi upazila of Joypurhat.
Several shopkeepers in Dinajpur, however, said they are in no way responsible for the situation as there is dearth of coins in the local market.
The government must come up with a practical solution to deal with the problem as every single unit of money is dear to common people, said Md Abdul Jalil, a shopkeeper at Maldhapatty in Dinajpur.
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