Farmers turning into labourers
Bashar Mia and his father used to be busy around this time every year harvesting Boro on their five acres of land near Nishchintapur village in Sunamganj's Tahirpur upazila.
But things have changed this year after their crops went under water due to early flood. The 21-year-old youth now spends most of his time at the Kalibari point in Sunamganj town waiting to get hired as a labourer.
Some days he gets work, some days he doesn't.
“There is no food at home. My father became sick after Boro on our land were damaged by the flood. Besides, we have to repay loans we took from local money lenders. Our condition is miserable,” he said.
Bashar is one of numerous farmers of haor areas thronging the Kalibari point for work every day. But very few of them get work.
Many were willing to work for measly sums out of desperation.
“I came here more than a week ago, but managed to find work on only two days. There are more people looking for work than there is work,” Bashar said.
Though he was paid less than the usual, he had nothing to do as he would have to repay the loan his father took for cultivating Boro.
Visiting the Kalibari point five days ago, The Daily Star correspondent found around 150 people, including women, looking for work. They start gathering there around 7:00am and wait until 11:00am.
Joynal Mia, 31, of Shekargaon village in Sadar said he never worked as a labourer before. Yet he went there because his crops were washed away and he had no money.
“I have to work if I want to live.”
Salam Mia, a labourer for 10 years, said before Baishakh, 20-25 people could be found at Kalibari point. But after the flood, many farmers from haor areas started to gather there. “Now, some 150-200 people come here every day.”
Subol Das, a farmer of Anandanagar village in Tahirpur, said, he desperately needed work as he had to repay a loan.
“The local lender is putting pressure on me for repayments. Even a year ago, it was not a big deal for me. But this year, it is very difficult to repay since my crops have been washed away.”
Khalil Mia, 45, of Guchchhagram in Sadar upazila, said many people from haor areas left Sunamganj for other districts like Brahmanbaria and Sylhet looking for work.
Contacted, Nurul Huda, chairman of Sunamganj District Council, echoed Khalil.
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