Photo: Sk Enamul Haq “They [political parties] are fighting for power and we are paying the price … these hartals and blockades bring us nothing but misery and suffering.” This is what day labourer Jotsna Das said in frustration at the ongoing political crisis that has dealt a heavy blow to poor people like her. The mother of four was among some 250 labourers who gathered beside a road near Natu
n Bazar in the capital's Baridhara area yesterday morning to get work. They didn't have much idea about politics. All they knew was hartals and blockades, which are used as political tools, have put them in dire straits. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq "Like every other day, I came here around 6:00am today for work. I didn't get any work for the last 10 days due to the ongoing blockade," said Jotsna. “I was supposed to pay last month's house rent by January 15. But I couldn't. Moreover, I had to borrow Tk 5,000 from a shopkeeper to feed my six-member family," she said. Jotsna felt lucky yesterday morning when she got work. She happily left the place but returned in a sombre mood within an hour. Advertisement "The work was not suitable for me. I was asked to dig in waist-deep water. I have to wait for work again." Usually, day labourers, who gather there in the morning, get hired at least five days a week. But the BNP-led alliance's nationwide blockade left most of them jobless, as the demand for day labourers went down sharply. By 10:00am yesterday, a few labourers got work. Many others, including Jotsna's husband Babu Das, left for home, while around a hundred more kept waiting there. This correspondent stayed at the place for around three hours. Moti Mia got work for only three days since the blockade began on January 6. Facing a financial crisis, he sent his wife to her father's house in Noakhali a week ago to borrow some money to provide for his four-member family. But she couldn't return due to the blockade. "We don't seek any favour from them [politicians]. All we want is that they keep the situation normal. We will earn our living on our own. We have children. We have to keep them alive," said Moti. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq "We want peace," said another middle-aged labourer, Kulsuma Begum. Azizul Mia, who managed to find work only for two days in the last one week, said, “If the blockade and hartal continue, we have to leave the capital.” "We don't want this sort of politics,” said the 45-year-old labourer from Kishoreganj. Bus driver Arif's is a different struggle. Braving the ongoing blockade, he runs his vehicle risking his life and also that of his passengers. "I feel scared of being attacked every time I drive the bus. But I have to make a living," said Arif at Mohakhali Bus Stand. He usually earns Tk 10,000 to 12,000 a week. But due to the blockade, his earnings have slid to Tk 2,000 to 3,000 with the number of trips falling to two to three from 12 to 14 a week. "Everybody wants to see normalcy back in the country. But will our politicians listen to us?" said the 35-year-old man from Bhaluka in Mymensingh. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq Several drivers and helpers were killed in arson attacks during the blockade, as pickets torched more than 300 vehicles and vandalised several hundred. Street hawkers are also hit hard by the blockade and shutdowns. Abdul Hakim, who sells garment items in front of the capital's Tejgaon College, said sales had gone down drastically. "I usually sell items worth more than Tk 4,000 a day. It has come down to around Tk 1,500, as the number of customers has fallen due to the blockade," he said. "Poor sales forced me to shut my business for a week during the blockade." "We are caught in the madness of both [Sheikh] Hasina and Khaleda [Zia]," said Hakim from Shariatpur. Rickshaw puller Abdul Hai, roadside tailor Suman Sheikh and tea vendor Salam also have similar stories to tell. Their earnings have shrunk due to the blockade, making it difficult for them to feed themselves and their families.
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