At dawn, farmers arrive at the market carrying freshly harvested vegetables from their fields. From one end of the market to the other, stalls are overflowing with winter produce. The shouts of buyers, sellers, wholesalers, and traders fill the air at Mahasthan Hat, one of the country’s largest wholesale vegetable markets. From here, vegetables are supplied to local retail markets as well as major hubs in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, and beyond.
On Monday, while selling their produce, several farmers at Mahasthan Hat spoke about the upcoming election. They shared a common demand: whoever comes to power must think about farmers and ensure fair prices for their crops. Abdul Haque (70), a farmer from Nagarkandi village in Shibganj upazila, cultivated potatoes on 60 percent of his land. Last week, he sold white Holland potatoes at Tk 800 per maund. By Monday, the price had dropped to Tk 450. When the topic of voting came up, disappointment was evident in his voice.
“Elections come and go, but the fate of farmers like us never changes,” he said. “We want a peaceful election, without violence. After the vote, the country should remain stable, our suffering should end, fertilizer and pesticide prices should fall, crops should get fair prices, and the market for essentials like rice and lentils should stay under control.”
Hafizar Rahman, a farmer from Karnapur village in Bogura Sadar, cultivated carrots on 70 percent of his land this season. Unable to get fair prices at the market, he expressed deep frustration. “We work hard to grow crops, but middlemen take advantage and we don’t get fair value,” he said. “After a long time, we are going to vote. Whoever forms the government, farmers like us should be freed from suffering.”
Shahjahan Ali, a farmer from Gabtali upazila, echoed similar sentiments, saying farmers’ hardships have remained unchanged despite repeated elections. Many farmers selling vegetables at Mahasthan Hat shared the same hope—that whoever wins the national election will finally address farmers’ struggles.
Joining the discussion, bean seller Matiul Islam pointed out the high cost of elections. “People spend millions to contest union council elections and many times more for parliamentary polls. It takes five years just to recover that money—how will they serve the people?” he asked.
Farmer Abu Hasan from North Shyampur village said, “We will vote for the party that ensures fair prices for our crops.” Another farmer from Inatpur village added, “We don’t want donations. We want more factories so the potatoes and vegetables we grow can be used as raw materials. That would truly benefit farmers.”
