The countrywide hartal (general strike) called by the opposition parties has pushed the day labourers in a difficult situation in the capital depriving them of their daily income.
Day labourers including bus drivers, helpers, restaurant workers, goods un-loaders and contract-labourers on daily basis in many sectors are suffering a lot due to hartal as they are sitting idle.
"We are seriously affected by shutdown. Now the day labourers are passing a hard time," Abu Bakkar, who works at Karwan Bazar in the city as a day labourer told the FE.
Bakkar, who unloads vegetables from the trucks said, "For five years, he along with a group of labourers earn Tk 50 from each truck by unloading vegetables".
He said usually his group could unload goods from more than 10-12 trucks every night but last night (Sunday night) they were able to unload only two trucks."
When asked about his income during hartal Abu Bakkar said due to shutdown his earning fell by more than 80 per cent.
In normal situation, more then 200 trucks enter Karwan Bazar but last night (Sunday) no goods laden truck reached the market.
During a visit to the city's Mirpur, Karwan Bazar and Motijheel areas, this correspondent spoke to many professionals including tea stall owners, cigarette vendors, hawkers, CNG drivers, rickshaw pullers and vegetable traders and came to know that they are worst victims of hartal as their daily income has drastically fallen.
Md Baset Ali, a CNG driver told the FE at Mirpur that in normal situation he earns more than Tk 2000-1800 a day but during hartal he could earn only Tk 500-600.
He said income of all CNG drivers has come down following the 84-hour hartal called by the opposition political parties.
Arifur Rahman, a fruit seller at Paltan told the FE that he lives with a family of five members and need more than Tk 15000 per month but this month his income has come down to Tk 4000 which has put him in distress.
He said in a normal working day his sale on an average is Tk 5000 and profit is 10 per cent. But in absence of customers he is passing a tough time.
Akbar Ali, a rickshaw puller at Gulshan told the FE, the ongoing political violence takes its toll on day labourers' income.
According to the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), the country loses around Tk 16 billion or US$205 million a day for hartal.
It also said the economy would suffer a total loss of Tk 640 billion or 6.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, if hartal is enforced 40 days in a year.
DCCI study report said Bangladesh can easily achieve a double-digit growth in gross domestic product annually, if hartal and political violences are shunned.
It also said the government loses revenue to the tune of Tk 2.5 billion a day and Tk 100 billion a year for hartal.
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