Students said that their monthly expenses on study materials have increased by around Tk 200 on an average. The most affected from this situation are students who get a limited or a fixed amount from their parents to bear expenses or those who have only a moderate income from part-time jobs.

"I try to support myself through a fixed amount that compromises of some money that my parents send from my village and from teaching a few students here in the Dhaka. Many others like me buy around a dozen dista (16 pages) paper during the beginning of a month. Now price of each dista have gone up by Tk 3 to 4," said Babu, a student of the Institute of Fine Arts at Dhaka University.

The overall cost a rim of paper is the primary cause for this price increase, according to businessmen at Baku Shah Market of Nilkhet.

"Earlier, the price of each rim of Bashundara paper was around Tk 180 to 190 which is currently being sold between Tk 220 to 230,"said a salesman of a stationary shop at Nilkhet.

The price of a rim of newsprint has also gone up to Tk 110-120 from Tk 90-100. This has meant that prices of notebooks have also risen.

"Price of 80 page khatas have increased from Tk 7 to 9 while the price of 120 page khatas have gone up by Tk 10 to 13," said a salesman.

"The price has increased due to the scarcity of paper, which is supplied via dealers at Nayabazar," claimed the manager of another stationary shop at Nilkhet.

Businessmen also pointed out that the price of imported materials have increased due to the devaluation of the Taka against the US dollar. Price of foreign offset paper, used for computer printouts and photocopy has increased by Tk 80 to 100 per packet, they informed. Also price of other imported study material like pens, erasers, ink, whiteners have increased by 30 to 35 percent on an average. The local products meanwhile, are selling at the same price.

"Students and guardians are still buying and our business has not suffered," said Moinul, a salesman at Baku Shah Market.

But students feel that they are being held hostage.

"Some dishonest businessmen have raised the prices of such products as they know that students will continue to buy these no matter what," said Shuvro of Tejgaon College.