The Public Works Department (PWD) has postponed its Tk three core project work due to this phenomenon.

Contractors of different public works projects are exerting pressure on the authority to change the scheme and revise the schedule to avoid loss.

Crisis in ship-breaking industries in Chittagong has been regarded to be its reason.

Work on over 100 buildings in the city has been suspended.

Afzalul Karim, a mid-level officer of a private bank, told this correspondent he hardly affords to spend the additional cost of building his under-construction house.

Daily sale of iron rod has almost stopped, said Majibur Raman, owner of the City Iron Store. According to him, price of iron rod has increased by 50 per cent. It is being sold at Tk 38-40 per Kg which was Tk 27 last month.

Mosharraf Hossain, a first class contractor in the city told that the contractors would sustain heavy loss in completing their work.

Humaun Kabir, Executive Engineer of Barisal PWD said that development work of various projects including Barisal textile industry at Uzirpur, Regional Training Centre here worth Tk 3 cr have been postponed.

Meanwhile, several thousands of day labourers and construction workers have become jobless.