Md Joynal Abedin Khan
Biku Mia, a 65-year-old rickshaw-puller, was robbed of his lands and house by River Brahmaputra and ended up living with two sons and wife in the city’s Mugdapara.
Biku, who has been living in the eastern neighbourhood for six years, is struggling hard to manage his livelihood during the ongoing lockdown.
The countrywide lockdown snatched his four-member family’s income source as the law enforcers did not allow him to ply his battery-run rickshaw on the city roads.
Biku is severely affected by the extended lockdown and he is going to lose his last hope with the extension of lockdown.
On top of all these sufferings, most rickshaw owners are reluctant to issue him any licensed rickshaw to him for his age.
Even maximum passengers are unwilling to ride on his rickshaw for slow speed of his rickshaw as they look at his old age and weakened physic.
He could have coloured his grey hair but he hates or rather doesn’t afford dying hair and beard so that he could look younger and avoid passengers’ apathy. He lives from hand to mouth with scant daily income as he has to manage food and lodging expenses.
Hearing the news of the extension of the ongoing lockdown till April 28, Biku broke down in utter frustration and termed the lockdown as a curse for their family.
“I would die of coronavirus rather languishing in lockdown for day after day,” the sexagenarian said adding that he could have dyed his beard and hair in order to attract more passengers but he didn’t.
“Now four members of my family are starving, but the government is expanding the lockdown period that is an injustice to the poor people. If the lockdown extends further, many rickshaw-pullers like me will have to die due to dearth of income,” said Biku with blank stare.
He went on narrating his tale of life which has lots of ups and downs as the Brahmaputra River snatched everything including homesteads and five bighas of lands as well as both of his sons and first wife in Mymensingh district in 2014. He later shifted to Khilgaon slum.
“After all, I took a decision to pull rikshaw to earn daily bread for my family. Things were going well, slowly recovering from old sad memories. I married again and have children from the second marriage,” Biku detailed his past life adding that things drastically changed overnight during 2020 when a 66-day long general holiday was imposed.
“I fell into deep trouble with the lockdown imposed the last year while all of my savings encroached and started carrying debt loads,” he went on telling his harrowing tale.
“I have been scolded and detained by the members of the law enforcing agencies in recent days during the ongoing lockdown,” he added.
He told his harrowing tales with tears dropping from his eyes. His wife and two children are approaching a bleak future as the lockdown is extending one after another.
“Relief and donation are now our family income source as all means of earning squeezed due to ban on battery-run rickshaws in the city,” he added in emotion-choked voice.
“I had enough assets to support my family but first river erosion and then lockdown joined hands to snatch all of my blisses of life —wife and two sons. I do not want to live in such situation anymore but only Almighty Allah knows about my fate in future,” stated Biku taking a dim view of his wretched life.
