Rohingya influx puts locals into financial trouble

The hike in the prices of almost all essential products following the influx of Rohingyas who fled persecution in Myanmar's Rakhine State has put the locals in Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas into a great financial trouble.

Shyamal Das, a resident of Balukhali Bazar in Ukhia upazila, said the prices of all the daily commodities have gone up after the Myanmar nationals started crossing the border into Bangladesh.

President of Balukhali Bazar Traders' Association Ekramul said all the vegetables saw a price hike following growing demand. "Ladies' fingers are now selling at Tk 100-Tk 120 per kg which was only Tk 18-Tk 25 earlier."

There is no control over the kitchen markets due to the shortage of supply of necessary items, he said, adding that the government should provide support to the locals as most of them are very poor.

Deputy Director of the Cox's Bazar office of the Bureau of Statistics Md Wahedur Rahman said some 207,380 people are now living in Ukhia while 264,389 in Teknaf. "Most of them are living below the poverty line," he said.

District relief and rehabilitation officer KBM Zakir Hossain said, "No special aid programme has been taken for the locals since the Rohingya influx began."

He also underscored the need for introducing a safety net programme for them.