An Interview on the impact on FM Son’s Auto Mobile during the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2020

to April 2021.

Name of the Interviewee: Mehedi Hasan Bappy

Designation: Director

Company Name: FM Son’s Auto Mobile

Interview Media: Face to Face

Interviewer Name: Mohammed Asaduzzaman

Since March 2020, after Bangladesh found it’s first case of Covid-19 patient the life has been changed for
the people of Bangladesh. The country has gone through a lockdown for a long time, that hampers the
daily life of the people as well as the business specially export & import business. So, to understand the
current situation of the import business & the impact of Covid-19 in import business I have talked to Mr.
Mehedi Hasan Bappy, Director FM Son’s Auto Mobile & asked a few questions regarding their business.

1. What is the name of your organization?

Answer: FM Son’s Auto Mobile, we sale recondition cars & recondition auto & motor parts here.

2. How your business related with import?

Answer: We basically import recondition & Brand-new auto parts & motor parts from Japan, Vietnam,
India, Thailand & Indonesia and sell here in retail and wholesale.

3. What are your products?

Answer: Car recondition engine and other brand-new parts (i.e., Steering Wheel, Head Light, Tail Light,
Rear view mirror, carburetor etc.) engine oil, car and motor bike decorative gadgets, Bike accessories
etc.

4. Which country you do business with?

Answer: We generally import car engine from japan and other products from Vietnam, India, Thailand &
Indonesia for cheaper price.

5. Did your business face any problem due to Covid -19 pandemic?

Answer: You know 99% of auto mobile parts are imported. So, you can understand how badly the
business is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic as the border was closed for international business for a
long time. Due to the pandemic situation the production was also hampered so the supply went down
which leads to the crises of product and increase the price of the parts up to 5%. Again, due the
lockdown the Chittagong & Mongla port was slow. So, we faced the problem to get our product which
was already in the port. In some cases, we had to sell some products cheaper than the invoice rate to
sustain our regular customers.
6. What is the present condition of your business right now?

Answer: We are in a better shape right now as the international business from our country is open now.
Now we are enable to import the parts again. Most of the exporting countries are back in production.
So, the supply of the product is increasing again. But there is still a problem in local market. Sales are not
up to the mark yet. We are just trying to survive in this situation.

7. What are the steps you have taken to overcome this situation?

Answer: First of all, we have increased the communications without customers specially the wholesale
customers. Next, we have added gift item with our product to attract our customer. We have introduced
sales discount to the customers. We have added free home delivery services for your customers so that
they could get the product at their place free of cost.

8. Are you happy with the measures that have been taken by the government?

Answer: We did not get any specific benefits from government as automobile parts importer. So as an
auto mobile parts importer we were expecting some specific benefits from government like bank loan,
Vat & Tax reduction on our imports.

9. What are the steps government should be taken to face Covid-19 pandemic in turns of business
that you think?

Answer: Government could introduce VAT & Tax-free imports of automobile parts which could help our
business to survive in this situation. Special bank loan for auto mobile business. Lessen the port
formalities (paper work) or could introduce online system for Paper work. More organized & structured
rules & regulations to smoothen the automobile parts import process.