Case Study- Shopping in Local Haat Haat- Kachari Bazaar, Jhilighata, koyra, Khulna.

Shopping done by: Nazrul Islam Age- 35 Occupation- Fishing in the jungle Education- Class 3

Present ResearcherMd. Riaz Khan Babor and Asaduzzaman ReportMd. Riaz Khan Babor

The community of our research field area used to go to Big Bazar per week. The Haat (Local Bazar) has situated at every Tuesday in Jhilighata, Upazila Koyra, in Khulna. And the local community used to buy their goods and services from this market. Food Basket is one of the research tool used by us and we had to do some shopping from this market along with a villager. It is 8 km far from amount the Upazila town. In the date of 17-07-12 at 2.30 pm we started for market (it usually opens at 2 pm) for shopping with a villager (the person who used to do shopping in market day). We arrived there around 3.00 pm. The name of that person, gave us accompany, is Md. Najrul Islam who used to do fishing in the jungle. Beside the road, there is a big Banyan tree, Curve cannel and the market has situated beside the sandy field in the bank of this cannel. There are almost 50-60 numbers of temporary/ provisional shops used to sell raw material, fish, rise, oil, fruits, sugar, soap, cosmetics etc. People have come there from far away for shopping. We (2 researchers) had taken a sit under the banyan tree after arriving at the market and had asked for permission to see the market with Mr. Najrul Islam. After that, he entered into the market with a plastic bag in his hand. At the start, he went to the spices shop and buy onion, gurlik, chilli and salt. Meanwhile, many curious people asked us the reason behind our presence. We replied, We came here to see all of your shopping procedure/style. Meanwhile, one said that, Have you came to see the dilapidated situation of us, the poor people, in the market set with fire? What is the use of that? The prise will never be decreased. The shopkeeper, along with the man, talked in the same voice that, people used to buy a lot of commodities but in a very little quantity not more than 100/200 grams making it difficult to weight appropriately . The sell is decreased as well as the profit. How will they buy? They donot want to come here because of high prise. Men become sick whenever they hear that they need to come to the market (said that laughingly). Najrul Islam apointed that, In previous times, we had to take rest for 3/4 times to carry the bag in our shoulder after shopping, now we do not need to use our shoulder, we can now carry the bag in hand without rest since the bag become half empty now-a-days. After that, Nazrul Islam went to the vegetable market and bought green chili, potato, green plantain Potol and Chichinga. Even there was one person talking to another pointing us that we were news reporters and we will write down the commodity price in the paper. However, that will not be much of a work since price of commodities are supposed to increase no matter what you write about that in newspaper. We tried to make him understand that, we are not journalist; we just came here for research purpose. Again that person continued, Researches never bring out any results in this matter. Then we replied smiling that, We have come to observe your losses.

Afterwards, Nazrul Islam went to the fish market and bought Telapia fish. There was no fish rther than Telapia and Pangash. We asked the shopkeeper reason behind the unavailability of any other kind fishes. He answered, It is a market for the poor people, Telapia and Pangash is

the fish for poor people. These people could have forgotten if there were no such kind of cheap fishes like Telapia and Pungash. In earlier period, we used to sell different kind of fishes like Tengra, Shrimp, Pabda, Boal, Hilsha. The prices were also low and the people could easily afford that. However, those fishes have just vanished from the poor peoples bazaar, but can be seen, usually, in the rich peoples city bazaars. These local can afford to buy only Telapia and Pangas, therefore, we, the sellers, can sell only these two types of fish. Supporting the shopkeepers opinion, Nazrul Islam continued saying that it is really true that they are losing their appetite because of taking these tasteless fish continuously. However, according to Nazrul Islam, these cheap fishes are the friends of the poor people like him. Nazrul Islam has finished his shopping, the price and amount of commodity has been given below: Name of goods Onion + Garlic (jointly) Salt (Super Salt) Chilly Green chilly Potol Potato Kach Kola (one type of vagitable) Telapia Snake guard Amount 1 kg 1 kg packet 50 g 250 g 1 kg 1.5 kg 1 kg 500 g 1 kg Present price BDT 32 BDT 16 BDT 10 BDT 10 BDT 20 BDT 24 BDT 15 BDT 25 BDT 10

Now, we have taken a seat again under the banyan tree accompanied by Nazrul Islam. We asked and noted the earlier prize (one year) of that commodity. Then we asked him that, You will do shopping again and keep in mind the price of commodity. We will sponsor the money. He accepted our proposal and went to the bazaar. Now he looked very confident and comfortable at the time of entering to the bazaar. He entered to the bazaar and started to buy spices what he did earlier but the quantity is 2/3 times higher than that of the prior time. The shopkeeper asked him, Brother! Is there any program going to be arranged at your home? Why you are taking a lot? No brother, this is for rich persons Nazrul replied by looking at us smilingly. Afterward, Nazrul went to fish shops to buy fish. In past, he used to buy Tengra, Boyal or Shrimp. When Nazrul went there to buy fish for us, there was no fish except Telapia; Pangash was finished already. Hence, he bought Pangash in more quantity. The shopkeeper asked Nazrul Islam smilingly, Brother, I should have arranged the expensive rich peoples fish for you today and you should have reminded me that earlier! The shopkeeper continued by telling us,

Brother, it is not profitable to bring costly fishes, nobody will buy this fish. Actually, they cannot buy, poor has no ability to afford those costly fishes. Consider of the previous price, the price and amount of commodity has bought by Nazrul Islam given belowName of goods Garlic Onion Salt Chilly Green chilly Potol Potato Kach Kola (one type of vagitable) Snake guard Telapia Amount 1 kg 1 kg 4 kg 100 g 1 kg 1.5 kg 3 kg 1.5 kg 3 kg 1 kg Present price BDT 35 BDT 32 BDT 64 BDT 18 BDT 20 BDT 30 BDT 70 BDT 22 BDT 20 BDT 60

Both of the bags of bazar was with Nazrul, one was in his hand and the other one was on his shoulder. After watching this, we understood the real implication of Nazruls word in which he informed us that in the earlier times the bazaar bags were needed to be carried on the shoulder. The bag of bazaar which was done keeping the previous commodity price in mind was, indeed, on his shoulder. While coming back from the bazaar Nazrul said to us, Brother, although for someone else, it is after a long time that I could shop as per my mind satisfaction. At 4.30 pm, with the bazaar, we started for Nazruls house by van. At the premises of Nazruls house, for the group discussion with women we kept the two bags of bazaar beside us and used the Food Basket tool for the comparison between the bags of two types of bazaar. Afterwards the group discussion when we gave both of the bags to the wife of Nazrul Islams, she was full of tears of joy. She said, Brother, I thought that I would not be able to see this much of bazaar at a time in my life again, but only for you people, I am, at last, able to see that. Perhaps it is because of the unreachable price hike of the commodities that this much of insignificant bazaar has transcend into a dream come to true for this poor people.