Скачать или смотреть Focus on how political instability is affecting economy

(13 Jan 2007) SHOTLIST
1. Various of people in fruit and vegetable market
2. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Vox pop, Fakrul Islam, shop owner:
"In the country, because of the protests and sieges, goods arrived late. Also because of Syndicate system, we have to purchase goods through the system higher prices. So, we have to sell our goods in higher prices also."
3. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Vox pop, Josna, local resident:
"I came here to buy fish. I think everything is expensive because of the hotel strike and road blockages. But at the moment, there is no protest and blockage, but the prices remain high."
4. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Vox pop, Dolly Arif, local resident:
"Everything is expensive. Even rice, dahl, oil, vegetable, everything is costly.
5. Close-up of man counting banknotes
6. Close-up of man
7. Pan from window to man
8. Close-up of man
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Wahiduddin Mahmud, economics professor at Dhaka University:
"This (political instability) creates a supply bottlenecks, and temporary shortfalls, and disruptions in the supply chain. This is not something very permanent, but nevertheless the effect on people's lives is quite serious because these are social items."
10. Various of stalls in market
STORYLINE
Political turmoil and unrest in Bangladesh has impacted on the country's economy and its residents.
On Friday Bangladesh's President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency and swore in a respected economist as head of the country's caretaker government in an attempt to defuse a bloody political crisis ahead of general elections.
Bangladeshi police and soldiers have arrested more than 2,500 people and raided the homes of several political leaders after the new caretaker
government was sworn in, police and news reports said on Saturday.
Ahmed imposed the state of emergency after a three-day nationwide blockade called by a 19-party political alliance spearheaded by the Awami League that left hundreds wounded.
The president's announcements were the latest twists in a tumultuous few months marked by increasing strife between rival political camps that has
left at least 34 people dead since October, largely paralyzed the government and slowed the economy.
Many Bangladeshis - from shop owners to powerful business leaders - were relieved by the news, which they hoped would end the political standoff.
The majority of lower middle class Bangladeshis were directly affected by price increases on basic goods.
"I think everything is expensive because of the hotel strike and road blockages," said one Dhaka resident shopping at a fruit and vegetable market.
"Everything is costly," said another shopper.
An economics professor at Dhaka University attributed disruptions in the supply chain to the political instability.
"This creates a supply bottlenecks, and temporary shortfalls," Wahiduddin Mahmud said.
"This is not something very permanent, but nevertheless the effect on people's lives is quite serious because these are social items," he added.
Politics in this country of 144 million people are so bitter that the constitution stipulates that a caretaker government take over 90 days before elections to oversee the voting, an unusual setup that has led to successful, if violent, votes in the past.
No new date has been set for the elections, and fears remained of further turmoil in a country with a history of coups, military rule and violently bitter
democratic politics.

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