Monday 19 December 2016

Bot-tola: Mouth warming food at minimum cost


If you’re a food lover and always in a great struggle with finding a best deal with your limited budget, maybe I’ve an answer for you. Bot-tola, situated at Jahangirnagar University campus in Savar, recently becoming poplar for its foods. But when it comes about price, it may seem like you’re living in modern days Mughal era.

In Dhaka city, usually you have to spend up to 200 hundred taka for a decent lunch. But in Bo-tola you can have much better food with the price of around 100-120 taka. “Normally in my lunch menu I always have Rice, vegetables, bhorta and sometimes fish or meat. It cost me around 200-250 taka. But in here I’ve more than 8 items with the items I mentioned with the price of 120 taka. Where five types of bhorta and its very cheap.” Said Hasibul islam, who visiting Bot-tola from Uttara. “This place is heaven for foodie like me.” He said. His wife said, “We discovered this place from a Facebook group few months ago, this is the second time we came here. Honestly, it’s always feels great to be here.” 
Food In Bot-Tola   Photo: Mosharaf

Bot-Tola situated at Jahangirnagar University campus near the capital. This place is mainly set up for providing food at minimum for the Jahangirnagar students. Nowadays It’s becoming popular among general people around the city, Thanks to the Facebook. Where foods prices and items may surprise you. 

In Bot-tola 20-30 shops always ready to serve the consumer with their Verities food items. Where you can find your own local “KFC, also known as Kader Food Center”. Every shop has their unique interesting name like, “Khalar Dokan, Haji Biryani, The Tajmahal, Rajbari Food center, Bangali Hotel etc.” In Bot-tola every food items have their own specialty, with mouth warming test. All the shops have 10 to 15 food items. From peppery bhorta to Chicken fired, all kinds of rich food are available here. Where more than 10 kinds of bhorta’s are being served for consumer. Like their name, their food has also some different test.

Any kinds of Bortha’s price is only 5 taka, rice per plate 5 taka, chicken curry desi 60 taka, broiler chicken per piece 40 taka, Lotpoty (Mixed of chicken’s lungs, leg etc.) 40 taka, beef 60 taka, Brain curry 100 taka, Mutton 60 taka, Pigeons curry 100 taka, Hilsha fish 70 taka, other kinds of fish is 30-40 taka, More than 5 items of vegetables is 15-20 taka, Hotchpotch is only for 20 taka. Most of the mentioned items prices are half of the price from any local restaurant in our city.

Photo: Mosharaf


But what is the mystery behind this surprising low price of food items in Bot-tola, while they don’t have any kind of subsidy from the varsity authority. Main consumer of the Bot-tola is students, so naturally food prices can’t be very high. owners always have to be very cautious about the prices. Kader, owner of the KFC said, “Our selling rate is very high that we don’t have to increase our prices.” 

In Bot-tola most of the shops are run by the family members of the owner. So, they don’t have to worry about paying extra salary to the workers. “Me and my husband run our business, our sons always there to help us”, said another owner Ranu Begum. Owner always bought a lot of food material at a time, in whole seller price. This is also reduced their cooking cost. “I always buy more than forty kg rice at a time, so it obviously helps me to keep my food items price reasonable.”, said Hasmat Ullah, owner of the Haji Biryani.

Another secret about Bot-tola is explained by Saiful Miah, who run a shop for ten years, in Bot-tola owner don’t have to pay any extra money for the shop rent. From his eyes, he thinks, this is the main reason for the cheap price. According him, Owner only have to pay electricity bill end of the month and lease price have to pay at first, which is very low. In Bot-tola every shop has almost five employees. According to one of the employee Masood, “We should not seek for extra profit everywhere. Public satisfaction gives us much happiness.”

But still the food shop owner of Bot-tola making decent profit their business. According to the owner of a food shop, there average amount profit is not a large amount of money but decent for them to live a good life. “My family is a large family. But I live in a good house and lead a good life. Recently I bought few acres of land. It’s all came from this business, which I’m doing for last 10 years”, said another owner. 

But things always not good for everyone. While some making profit, few are struggle with their business. Mr. Hasmat Ullah said, “It’s good not too good. I have to take loan from bank to run my business. Now interest getting higher every month but the profit still not satisfactory. It’s creating pressure on my family, eventually me.” In Bot-tola, many owner start their business with the loan from local NGO or the bank. Interest rate of their loan which concern them most. 

In Bot-tola owner need one time large investment. With around 4-5 lakh taka, they can start their business. Rest of the time they didn’t have to pay any money to anyone except lease fee every year. They also have to pay their water and electricity bill but it’s not too much.

At 12pm Cookers and shop owner everybody is busy with making lunch for thousands of people. Meanwhile consumers are started to gathered Bottola. At 1.30pm empty Bottola become very overcrowded with both students and the outsider people. Some people come with their full family even from the capital. “I heard about this place from a Facebook group name foodbank, this is seemed very nice place for food lovers.”, said a resident of Mirpur. Mainly Bottola acting as life saver of the students of Jahangirnagar by providing food at low price. “I always come here to eat after the class. I get all foods at tight budget”, said Shadin Pranto, a student of Journalism and Media studies of Jahangirnagar University. Mr. Hasan, another consumer from Dhaka, said with a smiley place, “I’m amazed. The same bhorta I ate at Kawran Bazar cost me 40 taka, but here is its only 5 taka.”

Food quality seemed never dissatisfactory in Bottola. Owner never compromise with the food quality. They always try their best to keep the place hygienic. Mr. Shafiq Mia, a chef said, “we always very cautious about our food quality.” Some food owner seemed very confident about their quality. “Our price is low, it doesn’t mean our quality is also low. We always eat the same food of our shop, but we never feel sick. If we don’t get sick, why should the consumer?”, said furiously Mrs. Selina begum, a shop owner.

Where is, demand is high, there price can be reasonable but where demand is low price can’t be low. Bottola is the best reflection of this economical law. Consumers and owners both thinks. this place need more attention from the outsider people.



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