Chapainawabganj's mangoes are famous worldwide for their unique taste. Besides local markets, they are sold online, and courier services are now one of the main ways of getting them to buyers' homes. But in recent days of continuous rain, hundreds of maunds of mangoes have rotted on the road because of courier negligence.

Hundreds of young people in Chapainawabganj and across the country have taken up selling mangoes online. Their last resort is Steadfast Courier Service, because buyers across the country pay the courier's representative when they receive their mangoes, and Steadfast has handled this cash-on-delivery work from the start. This year, however, it faces complaints of serious irregularities and hardship over its service.

Online traders say mangoes are not reaching consumers even seven or eight days after booking, hurting an online mango market worth hundreds of crores of taka. Even complaints to the courier's management have brought no remedy.

Recently, online mango traders protested by surrounding Steadfast Courier Service's branch office at Kansat in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj over complaints of serious irregularities and hardship.

Oliul Arifin Dolon, owner of the Facebook page "Ghorponno", said: "Seven days ago we booked 70 crates of mangoes with the courier. Eighteen crates got soaked in the rain and rotted on the road. My loss is Tk 30,000. Who will pay me this money?"

Rimon, owner of the online page "Birbal", said: "We suffered heavy losses last year too because of Steadfast Courier Service's irregularities, and the same problems have arisen this time. So we were forced to surround the Kansat booking centre. Last year 500 of my parcels were lost, and I still have no account of them. Mangoes being booked now are delivered after 8-10 days, so they rot in the crates, and buyers open the crates to find rotten mangoes. I see no option but to shut the business."

Another online trader, Jihan, said: "I sent 50 crates of mangoes on the 10th. They still haven't reached the buyer; the tracking shows they are on the road. Will these mangoes stay good? They must have rotted. We are helpless now."

Masud Rana, owner of "Chapai Food", and online entrepreneur Shimul Ahmed said many mangoes were being ruined on the road. "We complained several times but no action was taken. We don't know where to go or whom to turn to," they said.

After the incident, Ashik Ahmed, manager in charge of Steadfast Courier's Kansat branch, said last year's complaints cannot be resolved now, but senior officials have given assurances about resolving the losses that occurred on 11, 12 and 13 June this year.

K M Ridwanul Bari Zion, owner of Steadfast Courier, said some parcels had problems during the Eid holidays because of traffic jams on the roads. "We are contacting them and refunding 50 per cent of the value of the goods. Anyone who did not receive a parcel last year can contact us, and the matter will be looked into," he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.