It was a hot summer day, I was kind of exhausted zooming here & there in Dhaka city in terrible traffic. It's a regular day for me, but it's a really difficult day for certain folks because they were fighting in the middle of the road in front of a food truck. A big crowd has gathered in a long line near the Gabtoli bus stop. They all gathered to buy their daily necessities, such as rice, oil, lentils, and so on, at a lower price from the market. Food vendors and distributors are working hard to keep up with the demand. Distributors are having a hectic time maintaining the crowd. I was watching the entire scene from the bus since my bus didn't move for the next 10-15 minutes. Finally, the driver pulls the gear off the bus & starts moving. We are passing the whole crowd which is moving along with us near the footpath. It took almost one & half hours to reach my home.
In Ramadan, people often wake up late in the morning and go to work. And they'll return early to sit with their families for iftar. We are eating great cuisine after dark and before daybreak, but I know it must be quite difficult for manual laborers who are out in the sun all day, and even in offices, things must slow down a little. After just 14-15 hours of fasting, we may have our iftar in the evening.
That day, after Sehri, I felt like my head was spinning and the world was suddenly starting to move incredibly fast. I desperately needed a decent nap, so I immediately prayed and fell asleep. I was awakened in the morning by an unusual sound. From the window, I noticed people dashing here and there as if everyone was in a hurry for something. I walked down and asked them what happened, but they didn't respond. Something peculiar drew my attention; 10-15 individuals were battling over a liter of oil, while another group was fighting for rice. "Is there a famine in our country?" I wondered.
This is not a fantasy; it is a reality that is already occurring in Sri Lanka and might occur in Bangladesh as well. The people of Sri Lanka blame the current government for the extreme situation. People are going insane because there is no oil or gas, and things are completely out of control. As the cost of daily consumables rises beyond the grasp of the average person, we may face a national economic disaster. Prices for almost everything skyrocketed, ranging from 5TK to 150TK in every single product. This affected the local market, with some avaricious individuals hoarding products to gain more profit.
And it all starts with the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. People are struggling to cope with this new economic crisis, beginning with oil and escalating to everything else. In this crisis, the Bangladesh government has made no serious moves to control the market, which is rare. The government should come forward to stabilize the market otherwise general people will be in trouble.