The government had to extend the ongoing general holiday and suspension of public transport, yet again amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the country’s transport workers are in a desperate fight for survival.
At least 5,000,000 transport workers across the country, most of whom are daily wage earners, are suffering the worst economic consequences of this pandemic.
The ban on public transport was once again extended till April 11 on Saturday. As such, transport workers, most of whom are the only earning members of their families, have been out of any work for the last couple of weeks (since March 26).
The government declared a general “holiday” which is expected to end on April 14, and the suspension of public transport is likely to see yet another extension from the authorities concerned, in order to curb the coronavirus outbreak.
“We are mostly dependent on our daily income from our daily trips for survival. But the current situation has left us destitute,” said Abdur Rahman, a bus driver who works the Dhaka-Gazipur route.
According to the latest Road Transport Act, transport owners are supposed to issue appointment letters for their workers so that they are paid on a monthly basis, not on the basis of how many trips one has completed in a given day.
Sadly, this initiative, a long-standing demand of the Bangladesh Transport Workers' Federation, is yet to be implemented.
“We are not getting any support from the government as we were not enlisted as the poorest in government records, which would have made us eligible for relief,” said Shafiqul Islam, a bus helper.
“We didn’t even get any support from our unions, associations, and owners,” he added.
Transport workers say the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation, that has 249 registered workers’ unions across the country, and is led by former minister MP Shajahan Khan, collects Tk10 per trip per bus from workers or Tk70 to Tk100 from every bus everyday.
Half of that amount collected is supposed to be deposited to the welfare and health fund formed for transport workers.
“We didn’t get nominal support from the federation and unions amid this crisis,” claimed a transport worker seeking anonymity.
The correspondent tried to contact MP Shajahan Khan but he was unavailable for comment.
However, when contacted, Osman Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation, said: “It is difficult for us to provide aid to transport workers on such a large scale.
“So we have sought government support in this regard and have sent letters to the deputy commissioners [DC] across Bangladesh to include transport workers in the government safety net program.”
“We have requested them to at least allow transport workers to buy rice for Tk10/kg to ensure their survival. But we are yet to get any positive response from the government,” he added.
The federation lacks proper district-wise lists of transport workers who have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak which makes managing circumstances even more difficult.
Meanwhile, a member of the federation in Dhaka, seeking anonymity, told this correspondent that the federation is preparing such lists in some districts which will be submitted to the respective deputy commissioners so that transport workers receive aid.
“We have already submitted a list of 1,000 transport workers to the DC of Khulna district so that they are included in the government’s aid list,” said Abdur Rahim Box Dudu, vice president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation.
“There are 4,000 transport workers in Khulna. But we are facing difficulties to prepare the list with detailed information. We are facing the same situation in other districts as well,” he added.
A request has been made to all transport owners to assist and help their respective workers in this crisis situation, said federation leaders.
“We have asked owners to help their drivers and other staff members,” said Khandaker Enayetullah, secretary general of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association.
Meanwhile, terminal branches of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association and other workers’ unions in Dhaka have started to provide financial aid to transport workers from the beginning of April.
Abul Kalam, president of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, Mohakhali bus terminal branch, said: “We have made a list of 5,492 drivers and helpers who work under this bus terminal to provide them Tk400 a day amid this crisis.
“We have already started distributing financial aid to transport workers here.”