Residents of Dhaka, particularly patients admitted in hospitals faced a shortage of cash as banks as well as digital transactions are off amid the internet service disruption and ongoing curfew across the country.
Patients admitted to hospitals across the capital could not buy necessary medicine due to cash shortages.
Families of patients have been managing necessary expenditures and getting medicine by borrowing and leaving dues at shops.
Jamal Uddin, a cardiac patient admitted at Mohakhali Chest Disease Hospital 11 days ago, has been facing hardship due to a cash shortage.
Kolpona Akter, 30, Jamal Uddin’s daughter, told UNB that she cannot buy medicine and food due to cash shortage.
Her brothers are working in Saudi Arabia, and have sent money to a bank for their father’s treatment on 16 July.
Kolpona could not make a bank transaction as violence escalated over quota protests last week.
“We need Tk3,500 every day for medicine and other expenditures. We have enough money in the bank, but cannot take out cash at present,” she pointed out.
Like Kolpona, thousands of people have suffered the consequences of banks, ATM services, and mobile financial services remaining off.
Abdul Haque, a retired government official, living in the Eskaton area of Dhaka, said he did not keep cash at house.
“After internet services were cut off, we cannot make mobile financial transactions or withdraw money from the bank. I don’t know how to maintain daily expenditure despite having money in the bank,” he added.
