Blockade is ruining trade

THE blockade of Dhaka enforced by the 14-party alliance is playing havoc with export-oriented industries as goods produced have no way of reaching the port city for shipment out of the country. The largest foreign exchange earning sector, the readymade garments (RMG) industry is badly hit. Across the board, apparels industries are overflowing with finished goods since trucks are unable to make the journey to the port city of Chittagong. Though some shipment is taking place by airfreight, this constitutes a marginal portion of total output of the RMG industry. The other major hurdle that is adversely affecting production in this vital industry is the failure to import raw materials like yarn to produce apparels. All in all, the situation is grim.
It is not only RMG that is suffering. According to the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation which has 24 jute mills and a workforce of some 89,000 people has been forced to suspend production. Since raw jute cannot be procured as the markets are not operational, there is no finished jute to sell. As workers get paid on sales proceeds of finished jute, there is no money to pay workers. Indeed, this is more or less the scenario with all manufacturing sectors. No production translates into no-pay for workers, which in turn translates in to no food on the table for their families. With prices of essentials soaring through the roof as the supply chain is disrupted and irregular pay on top of it, what are the common working class people to do?