Once upon a time in Dhaka, telephone operators and postmen were the most revered service providers, especially for a young adult in love or an elderly parent residing in any mufassil town.

I remember bribing the telephone operators for long-distance calls to bypass the trunk call bills. And the postman was almost like a friend, we connected on a platonic level, where he knew he could make or break my day with a letter or gift.

Dhakaites have come a long way since those days and now await parcel delivery men instead.

For many in Dhaka, a social media addiction often leads to financial fatality. You keep buying things you don't need, slight variations of things you already have, or things you will never need.

Believe me when I say, that on average, I receive a minimum of two parcels a day, orders I don't remember purchasing with the cash-on-delivery option.

Hassan, my caretaker, says, "In our six storied building, there are six families. I receive almost 13 to 15 parcels daily. Food, gadgets, plants, clothes; deliveries continue to drop in every couple of hours."

"If you have young boys and girls in the building, then food is all they order, the delivery sometimes comes till 2:00am. I find it difficult to manage deliveries for all six floors. Meanwhile, my friends who also work as caretakers of high-rise apartments complexes in the vicinity, need a dedicated assistant caretaker to sort these deliveries and drop them off at the correct flat. Most of the time house guards are the ones receiving the orders, and the cash is left with them," he jokes.

Rezaul Karim, who was once a security guard, would earn around Tk 12,000 monthly. However, this was just not enough for his small family living in the village. "I started working for a reputed courier company in the city. The company only required me to have my own bicycle and mobile phone to join," he explained.

"Even though my fixed salary is only Tk 4,500, I usually earn up to Tk 17,000. The calculation is quite simple. I get to keep Tk 20 for each parcel I deliver. If I deliver 20-25 packages every day, I can earn Tk 400-500 in just one day," says Rezaul.

He adds "Also, sometimes we get tips, but you cannot rely on that income. Sometimes people tip you, sometimes they don't. However, I am from a poor background and have family responsibilities, I keep my salary for them and live my days here in Dhaka with tips and other bonuses. I do not have the luxury to eat to my heart's content because I must share that money with my family," he adds.

The city's e-commerce and f-commerce are thriving, and courier service companies are complementing these booming businesses in Dhaka and around Bangladesh.

For anyone who has runs an online store, tagging with a reliable courier is mandatory. Nahar, an online business owner, feels that delivery persons work very hard, and they deserve a pat on their back.

"Yes, some of them are rough in manners, but some customers are uptight too. These boys cycle throughout the day, in the rain or sun, ensuring that your goods are not damaged. So, when you pay your delivery fee, please realise that they only receive a meagre portion of that Tk 120 delivery fee you pay," says Nahar sympathetically.

Quite a few local courier companies are employing the otherwise unemployed or low-paid workers, who come to Dhaka to realise their dreams, and Dhaka doesn't fail them.