Traders in Bou Bazar, located in the Ghop Dhanpatty area of Jashore, staged a protest and laid siege to the local municipal office today (June 15) in response to a sudden hike in market fees and alleged misconduct by representatives of the market leaseholder.
According to the protesting vendors, the daily market toll per shop had previously been 20 taka—split equally between the leaseholder and the market traders’ association. However, a man named Ripon, reportedly linked to the leaseholder, recently demanded 40 taka per shop, claiming 30 taka for the leaseholder and 10 for the association.
Traders allege that Ripon has been using threats and abusive language to enforce the fee hike. One businessman claimed Ripon warned, “Your skin won’t be spared if you don’t pay.” Additionally, attempts were made to collect tolls from privately-owned shops outside the market boundaries, a practice not seen before.
Failing to meet the municipal administrator, the traders submitted their complaints to municipal administrative officer Uttam Kumar Kundu. He assured them that the matter would be resolved after a municipal visit to the market the next day.
Although the traders returned to the market following the meeting, most shops remained closed, forcing many customers to seek alternatives in the larger city market, causing considerable public inconvenience.
When contacted, the leaseholder and labor leader Abu Hasan claimed the fee was fixed by the municipality at 25–30 taka per shop. He denied wrongdoing, saying that political rivals and those who previously held the lease but lost it were inciting unrest by manipulating the traders.
In the midst of the controversy, the traders dissolved the previous market committee and formed a new one. Helal Ahmed Sagor was elected president, Morshed Ali as general secretary, Milon as organizational secretary, and Moniruzzaman Jibon as office secretary.