Due to prolonged lockdown, the daily wage earners who usually have to work hard to keep body and soul together are in great miseries for want of work and money.
Khaleque Mia (43), Billal Khan (45), and Ratan Das (34)are daily wage earners.
Khalek, a resident of Habiganj who resides in a rented house at Bagadi village in Chandpur Sadar, said he did not get even Tk 300 by sharpening knives by his machine on Tuesday.
Carrying the heavy machine on his neck, he moves here and there and sharpens the dao, botidao, knife, axe, etc. in different areas in the district.
Another one Imam Hossain (46), hailing from Habiganj Sadar and residing in a rented house at Bagadi village in Chandpur, has also echoed the same.
On the other hand, Billal Khan, who along with his colleagues sits daily near Chowdhury Masjid in the town, said, he did not get even Tk 200 till 3:00 pm on Tuesday by repairing old umbrellas and torch lights.
Due to lockdown, their daily income has come down immensely. Hardly they get Tk one hundred daily.
Talking to shoe shiner and shoe repairer Ratan Das who sits beside the road every day near Chandpur Govt College Post Office said he did not earn even Tk 100 till 1:00 pm on Tuesday.
They all blamed the lockdown and Covid situation. They termed Covid a curse from Allah. They do not know how long this situation will exist. They are in great despair about the future days.
On the other hand, some blacksmiths in ChandpurSadar, Matlab Uttar and Faridganj Upazilas-- Kanto Karmaker, Biplob Karmaker, Dinesh Karmaker, Suman Karmaker, Robi Karmaker, Bishnu Karmaker have told the FE that they are also in a miserable condition ahead of coming Eid.
Due to lockdown, they are not getting any orders for dao, khonta, axe, big dao, Botidao, knives, daggers ahead of Eid for slaughtering sacrificial animals. They can't earn even Tk 200 till night. They have to sit idle for hours together for want of customers.
