Students issue 4-day ultimatum against extortion, syndicates at Jatrabari market

Students from the Anti-Discrimination Movement have given the Jatrabari Wholesale Market Owners’ Association a four-day ultimatum to eliminate extortion and syndicate practices that inflate vegetable prices by nearly double. 

Before a vegetable truck enters Jatrabari market, different groups collect extortion money at three stages – on the road, at the truck parking spot, and during unloading. As a result, the cost of each vegetable reaching Dhaka’s market nearly doubles. 

However, the members of the Jatrabari Wholesale Market Owners’ Association have requested 10 days to meet the demands. 

The ultimatum was issued at a meeting at the Jatrabari City Corporation Shop Owners Association office on Wednesday, attended by various market owners from Jatrabari and Kadamtali, as well as representatives from the student movement and the general public.

At the meeting, the students presented nine demands to the market traders, specifying a four-day deadline for implementation. The demands were presented by Ismail Samrat, one of the central coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

Key demands include: dismantling all syndicates, completely ending extortion at all stages of market operations including truck loading and unloading, and prohibiting the use of any lights other than white in the market area. Trucks bringing goods to the market should not be subjected to any form of extortion, and no markets or parking areas should be set up outside the market premises. Extortion from trucks should be eradicated from Sayedabad to Shonir Akhra.

Also, the demands include returning any advance payments taken from traders, ensuring fair resolution of traders’ issues, posting price lists, listing and addressing illegal hoarders, preserving purchase and sales receipts, and cleaning all accumulated waste inside and around the market.

Students instructed traders to report any incidents of extortion to the police, no matter which group is responsible for the extortion. The market owners’ association should handle these issues, they said.

Ismail Samrat said that eliminating extortion and syndicates would not only provide traders with a better environment but also significantly lower product prices, easing the burden on consumers.

President of the Jatrabari Wholesale Owners’ Bulu Babu agreed to the students’ demands and requested 10 days to comply. The students accepted the request and offered their cooperation in the implementation of the demands.