Hundreds of crores of taka are being lost every month in about 4,000 community centres that are closed due to lockdown. Therefore, the Bangladesh Community Center Convention Hall and Catering Association (BCCA) has demanded that the centers be reopened leaving half the seats vacant in compliance with the health rules.
The demand was made by the organization at a press conference held at the Tafazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club on Sunday.
During the press conference, Alhaj Shah Zakir Hossain, president of the organization, said, “Currently, due to the closure of social programs in Corona situation, the loss of 4,000 organizations is around Tk 100 crore per month. With this, the amount of loss of the decorator is about 15 to 20 crore taka.
About 5 lakh income less people involved with community centers, decorators, event management and other sectors are living inhumane lives. A catastrophic situation has descended on their family. Many do not even have the money to buy food. In all, about 2 million people are directly and indirectly involved in this sector.
He further said that they are in uncertainty of livelihood as the event is not organized. Among those who used to make a living by doing various jobs including photography, decoration, logistics services, flower delivery, board mechanic, decoration and cleaning work, all of them are now unemployed. Community center traders are in dire straits. Their income has stopped. As a result, they are living an inhuman life. All events booked throughout the year have been canceled. It is almost impossible and challenging for traders to turn around in the face of this huge loss. '
Zakir Hossain said, “Keeping pace with the times, community centers have been set up in every area of Dhaka city through public and private initiatives.” These community centers hold various events including Panchini, Bagdan, Gayehlud, Wedding, Post Wedding Reception and Birthday.
In all these cases, the community center authorities or their nominees do a lot of work including interior decoration. The number of public-private community centers and convention centers in the capital is about four hundred. There are about four thousand such institutions in the whole country.
With an average of 50 permanent employees, there are about 200,000 people in the country.
Demanding the opening of community centers, Zakir Hossain said, “Even though the community centers are closed, they have to pay rent, income tax, holding tax, VAT, employee's salary, electricity bill, WASA bill, gas bill etc.”
Each community center covers an area of at least 5,000 to 30,000 square feet. Where, it is not at all impossible to perform one hundred or two hundred people according to the rules of hygiene. In a hotel where one or two hundred people can be accommodated in a space of one thousand or two thousand square feet, it is easier and healthier to cater to one hundred or two hundred people in a large and well-spaced area of a community center. Therefore, for humanitarian reasons, I am humbly requesting to give the opportunity to perform in a short range in compliance with the government health rules.
Also present at the press conference were Monir Hossain, General Secretary of Bangladesh Community Center Convention Hall and Catering Association, Haji Mohammad, President of Chittagong Community Center Owners Association. Sahab Uddin etc.
