People of low-income groups and daily wage earners in the Rangpur region have faced hardship and become frustrated due to the complete shutdown called by the quota protesters and the curfew enforced by the government.
Local sources said most of the informal workers have lost their income sources due to the ongoing curfew imposed on Friday midnight. On top of that, there is no social protection system to support them during this crisis time.
The ongoing movement and sudden restrictions on business and activities have made the daily workers jobless and frustrated. They are facing difficulties in maintaining their living and repaying the loans which they took to run their small business.
This correspondent talked with at least ten people including- a daily worker, van puller, transport worker, vegetable vendor and construction workers last Tuesday. Many of them expressed their frustration and suffering due to the closures.
“I have not gone to work for around a week due to the closure of the office during the shutdown and curfew,” said Mukta Begum, a widow who works as a support works at Ispahani Argo in Robertsongonj area of the city.
“I get Tk 165 every day working eight hours in the company. I have to sew sacks of seeds and stamp the seal on it. My weekly payment stands at Tk 990. It becomes very tough for me to maintain the family with the small amount of income let alone the sudden closure of the office.
“I have a daughter who is an admission seeker in the college this session. I still can’t manage my daughter’s admission fee. I have been passing amid sorrows and anxiety. The closure of the company, however, forced me to take loans from the neighbour to maintain the daily family expenses,” she added.
Mofazzol Miah, a mobile vegetable vendor who regularly comes to the city from the Boldipukur area of Mithapukur Upazila said on Wednesday, “I buy various types of vegetables from the villagers and carry on the van to sell the items at different areas of the city.
“I get a profit of at least Tk 700-800 regularly selling the vegetables that support me mainly to bear my five members' family costs. I almost lost my small capital due to the shutdown and curfew as I had no alternative sources to maintain my family expenditures.”
Saidur Miah, an auto-rickshaw puller at Mondolpara in the city said, “I bought my rickshaw on credit and I have to pay regular instalments by earning money. I failed to deposit two of my instalments. I earn Tk 600-700 daily by peddling a rickshaw in the city to maintain my family expenditures and pay loans.
“Prices of essentials have shot up beyond our reach. I can’t buy necessary items for my family. It really becomes difficult for the daily earners to support their livelihood amid the escalating living cost. The shutdown and repeated curfew have worsened our sufferings furthermore.”
A transport worker, Mostafa Miah, at Kamarpara bus stop of Rangpur City, said, “The halt of inter-district and long route distance bus service made us jobless and caused severe sufferings and woes to the families of hundreds of workers in the district.”
A van puller Ajoy Kumar, who used to carry furniture, electronic goods and sanitary materials from different showrooms in the city, said, “The outlets of furniture, electronic and sanitary goods remained shut in the city for the last five days. Trade and commerce remained halted. The clients buy goods items from the shops and showrooms and take them to their houses by hiring vans.”
He added that he received no orders from clients and shops for carrying goods and remained idle at home for almost seven days due to the unrest. He had a bare amount of savings which had almost finished maintaining the family expenses during the shutdown.
Day labourer, Monsur Miah at Nurpur of the city said that he had not got any work since last Thursday, so he had no earnings.
A construction worker Dildar Miah said hundreds of workers have been suffering from hardships due to the halt of work in the construction sites amid the curfew.
“We want a peaceful environment in the country,” he added.
