Sales of heavy-duty commercial trucks in Bangladesh fell nearly 34 percent year-on-year in the January-September period this year due to shrinking economic activities and higher prices stemming from the devaluation of the local currency against the US dollar.

According to data from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, only 208 heavy-duty trucks were registered per month between January and September this year. That figure stood at 317 units per month in the same period last year.

Abdul Matlub Ahmad, chairman of Nitol Niloy Group, the local distributor of vehicles made by Indian automobile giant Tata, said the price hike of US dollars led to an increase in prices of heavy-duty trucks. That, alongside the shrinking economy, caused sales to decline.

He said there was no way to deny that economic activities had declined by at least one-third. For this reason, import and export activities slowed and the impact of that was felt in heavy-duty truck sales.

According to data from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, only 208 trucks were registered per month between January and September this year. That figure stood at 317 units per month last year.

However, he said there was potential for small commercial vehicles in the future, particularly after the general election.

Regarding the market share of the big dealers, he said Tata, Ashok Leyland, and Eicher each occupied 30 percent of the total market while the rest of the companies held only 10 percent.

The price of diesel also increased and currently stands at Tk 108 per litre, up more than 36 percent from Tk 80 per litre in August last year.

Truck operators do not get sufficient trips or orders to meet the rising cost of operations. So, heavy-duty truck sales fell, he noted.

He added that they had reduced the import of heavy-duty trucks due to the prevailing situation.

Against this backdrop, Runner Motors Ltd recently launched the Eicher Pro 2000 and 6000 series at the International Convention Centre Bashundhara.

Hafizur Rahman Khan, chairman of Runner Group, and Shantanu Srivastava, regional head of Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicle for Bangladesh, South Asia and ASEAN countries, inaugurated the ceremony.

"We strongly believe that this transport will revolutionise the country's automobile and communication system and make a significant contribution to the country's economy," Khan said.

The Runner Group chairman added: "Today is a day of great joy. We have started the journey of these two series of vehicles in the transport sector, which will contribute greatly to the economy of the country along with improving the transport and communication sector."

He also believed the market would revive in the future, adding that sales faced ups and downs based on the economic reality but it was not permanent; just a part of business.

Rahman also asked to keep in mind that businesses do not move linearly.

Subrata Ranjan Das, executive director of ACI Motors Limited, the sole distributor of Foton vehicles, said: "Despite the overall market being dull, we have seen six percent growth in the last quarter as we introduced some new models."

He added that their growth remained steady since they were yet to acquire a significant share of the market for heavy-duty trucks.