Poor bearing the brunt yet again
Last year's prolonged shutdown had left Ainal Haque with no option but to give up driving inter-city buses and take up driving a three-wheeler to survive the economic shock.
Now, with the new lockdown in place, he described how the fresh restriction has affected him.
"I live in a mess with others. Every day, I've to pay Tk 120 for food and rent. But for the last two days, I couldn't pay," said Ainal, who was talking with two fellow drivers near the capital's Dhalpur Community Center yesterday afternoon.
Ainal's situation shows how people from the low-income group, who are still distressed because of last year's economic shock induced by Covid-19, have again started feeling the pinch due to the lockdown.
Ainal transported a passenger from Monwara Hospital in Siddheshwari to Kajla that day. "I got Tk 200; that's all I got since the morning," he said.
"Last year, I remained jobless for a long period during the shutdown. Then I thought of driving CNG [auto-rickshaw], as the small vehicles are usually allowed to ply on the road even during the restriction," he said, adding that he used to be a driver of Balaka Service, which plies Dhaka-Gazipur route.
While these people are worrying about their livelihood, the inflation rate is trending upwards.
According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the average inflation rate rose to 5.47 percent in March, from 5.02 percent in January this year. Food inflation rate increased to 5.51 percent.
Meanwhile, rickshaw pullers and day labours are also passing difficult times, as their scope of income has become limited during the restriction.
Rickshaw-van puller Milon Molla carries goods from a Thai aluminium shop in the capital's Jatrabari. He was found lying on his van.
"From the morning, I just sit idle here," he said.
Milon has a daughter and two sons. His eldest son Amir-Hamja works as a helper at a steel almirah manufacturing factory. His youngest son Shanta, a third-grader at Dholaipar High School, works as a helper at a local meat shop.
Asked, Milon said last year during the shutdown, he got aid from different people. "The owner of the aluminium shop gave me Tk 2,000. Our local councillor gave rice and other daily essentials. My sons received some aid. We managed to survive with the help."
"This year, there is no sign of assistance. I don't know how to pay [house] rent and buy food," he said.
"There is a thin presence of commuters. On top of that, we can't take passengers to their destinations, as many places have been barricaded. So, our income has dropped," said rickshaw-puller Md Enamul.
In usual times, his income reaches over Tk 500 by noon, but he could only earn Tk 300 by 1:30pm yesterday.
Day labourer Mofizur Rahman went to his village last year during the closure. This year, he remained in Dhaka, but there is no work for him.
"Somehow, I managed work on Pahela Baishakh. Today [Thursday], I did not find any," he said.
In "The Inequality Virus", published in the last week of this January, international charitable organisation Oxfam says that the pandemic has created the worst job crisis in over 90 years, with hundreds of millions of people now underemployed or out of work.
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