Rashedul Islam, a CNG-run autorickshaw driver, was sitting idly inside his vehicle in front of Taltola Market in Khilgaon on Sunday afternoon amid a curfew.
He said he had brought out his vehicle for the first time in four days.
When asked about how he was managing to put food on the table, he said he did not have a single penny in his pocket, so there was no option but to work despite the curfew.
Rashedul was not only anxious about his survival but also worried about his family in his village home.
Life slowed down by information blackoutHe said his family had been calling him by phone for money but had been answered with deafening silence.
“If I do not offer rides, how will I survive? What will my family members eat?"
He explained that he was not afraid of violence as the situation had forced him to come out of his home.
Most daily wage earners were going through a similar situation.
They said they were left without a choice, because if they did not earn any money, their families would go hungry along with them.
Jahangir Alam, a rickshaw puller, said he had earned only Tk170 in a day and had to give Tk400 to the owner. “If I do not pull my rickshaw, I will have to starve.”
Another CNG-run autorickshaw driver, Rubel Miah, who was waiting for passengers in front of Khidmah Hospital in Khilgaon area, said he had gone there carrying passengers from Mirpur.
He was only carrying passengers who had curfew passes, he added.
Rickshaw pullers and autorickshaw drivers, fully dependent on their daily income, voiced their frustration at the indefinite curfew, saying the restrictions were posing a threat to their survival.
