Nilphamari traders disgruntled with high tender rates

Nilphamari Correspondent :

Business owners and residents in Nilphamari have expressed strong dissatisfaction over the “abnormally high” tender rates set for shop allocations in the municipality’s newly constructed two-storey super market.

On 12 November 2025, the municipality issued a notice announcing the tender for 81 shops. The construction was carried out by contractor firm Messrs Robbani Enterprise.

According to the notice, the price per square foot has been fixed at Tk 7,000. Shop sizes range from 94-98 sq ft for smaller units and 190-200 sq ft for larger ones.

As a result, the total cost of each shop amounts to several lakhs of taka-far beyond what local traders consider reasonable. Many describe the rates as “excessive, unrealistic, and beyond the reach of ordinary entrepreneurs.”

Local business owners argue that privately owned markets in the same area do not charge such high prices for ownership or rental, making the municipality’s proposed rates impractical.

Nilphamari Municipality Administrator Md. Saidul Islam said:
“A four-member expart committee reviewed market prices of construction materials, including rods, cement, sand and bricks, before fixing the rate at Tk 8,000 per sq ft including VAT.

We also compared rates of nearby private markets before finalizing the price. There is no scope for irregularities in the allocation process-I assure you of that.”

Meanwhile, traders say they will soon formally request a reassessment of the tender rates. Residents fear that such high shop prices may prevent genuine small entrepreneurs from securing allocations and could eventually trigger hikes in market prices of goods.

Discussions and criticism surrounding the issue continue across the town.