Dhaka, Feb. 8 -- Cold storage owners have urged the government to allow a 7.0 per cent bank interest rate for cold storage operations from the current 15-17 per cent.

At a press conference held at the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association's (BCSA) office in Dhaka, they cautioned that failure to meet this demand could lead to the proposed hike in fare, which has been set at Tk 8.0 per kg.

Presiding over the conference, BCSA President Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu says cold storage operators are witnessing severe financial challenges. Currently, they are burdened with high interest rates of 15-17 per cent on bank loans, which he described as unsustainable.

Combined with rising electricity costs, labor expenses, and other overheads, the cost ...