It was 11:45 on Saturday night. A group of people from low-income families rushed and gathered around a slow-moving pickup on its way to Pantha Path from Karwan Bazar in Dhaka, bdnews24.com reports.
They began haggling for the fare to northern districts Bogura, Gaibandha, Rangpur and Thakurgaon. The pickup left as they refused to pay more than Tk 250 per head while the driver was asking for Tk 400.
Abdul Jalil of Gaibandha said the driver was asking for too much after seeing more passengers. But Jalil was confident that they will get truck rides at Tk 200 per head.
The passengers, mostly day labourers, rickshaw-pullers and hawkers, decided to leave the city for now before running out of their savings as their income has shrunken due to the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
Jalil worked as rickshaw van-puller in the city, but he barely got any job in the past week, a fact that forced him to think about returning home much ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
“We live from hand to mouth, but there has been no earnings for some days as the lockdown is being enforced strictly this time. I'll run out of money if the lockdown is extended before Eid. So, I'm returning home earlier.”
More than 50 people like Jalil were waiting for transports at Karwan Bazar. One of them, rickshaw-puller Mobadur who gave a single name, said he was waiting for a ride to his home in Bogura. He stays at a rickshaw garage in Dhaka.
Although the government has allowed rickshaws to ply, but barred motorised passenger vehicles during the lockdown, Mobadur said they decided to return home because of a lack of passengers.
“I can’t earn more than Tk 250 a day and have to give it to the owner. Why should I stay if I can’t save any money?” he asked.
Another rickshaw-puller, Rabiul from Gaibandha who also gave a single name, said he had suffered a lot after deciding to stay in Dhaka during the lockdown in April. So he has decided to go back to his home this time.
“I've my wife and children back home. I'll manage some job there,” he said.
Many of them had been able to travel by bus from Gabtoli during the last lockdown, but now they have opted for trucks or pickups as buses are not available.
Pickup driver Shamim, who also gave a single name, wants to make the most of the situation. He is transporting people from low-income group instead of vegetables.
He was asking for Tk 400 per head. But the passengers were not willing to pay more than Tk 250. Some of them rushed and jumped onto a goods-laden truck to return home by paying Tk 200 per ride.
“I can’t make a profit if I charge less than Tk 400. I'll have to pay the police at several places on the way. I will transport vegetables if they don't agree,” Shamim said.
In the lockdown last year, a number of groups and individuals distributed relief among the poor who had lost their jobs due to the restrictions, but no such efforts are visible this time.
Besides the day labourers, rickshaw-pullers and hawkers, drivers of ridesharing firms, autorickshaws and other transport workers have lost their earnings in the lockdown.
Selim Ahmed, a native of Keraniganj, was resting on his motorcycle in Karwan Bazar at midnight. He had worked in Saudi Arabia as a driver, but could not save any money. He now lives with his wife, mother and two children.
He said he was living from hand to mouth now by working for a ridesharing firm. “I sat idle for three days at home. How'd I buy food?”
“I gathered courage and left home in the evening. I earned Tk 600 from three long trips. Now I will return home.
“I had decided that I would go to jail or ask the police for food if I got caught.”
The law-enforcing agencies set up check-posts and patrol Dhaka to curb public movement in the lockdown, but the activities vanish in the night.
Jahangir Alam, an inspector of traffic police, said day labourers hide under tarpaulins on goods-hauling vehicles to sneak through the check-posts. Some of them get caught sometimes.
The Criminal Investigation Department of the police is working with the traffic police at the entrances of Dhaka at night, so the northbound passengers on vehicles meant to transport goods should get caught at check-posts in Gabtoli, said Jahangir.