Until March 26, when Bangladesh went on a countrywide public holiday to contain Covid-19, Mohammad Habibur Rahman even in his worst nightmare had not imagined what was awaiting him a month or two later.
He was planning to expand his business.
Now 45, Habibur had been running a small eatery 'Bangla Hotel' at Mohammadpur in Dhaka. A restaurateur for six years, he was forced to shut his business and find a job to earn daily bread for his family.
Ironically, one of his friends employed him at his restaurant adjacent to Habibur's one.
Habibur, who used to sell food worth Tk10,000 a day on average, is now working as a waiter with a monthly salary of Tk10,000.
Life really mocks him as Habibur had been a waiter for 10 long years before he opened his eatery.
The public holiday, which the government used as an alternative to lockdown to ensure social distancing amid the pandemic and extended in phases till May 30, caused him to close his 400-square-feet restaurant soon after the government announced the move on the night of March 25.
Duly, all his staff left the restaurant and headed to their homes — both in and outside Dhaka city.
Habibur was narrating how the ordeal began, while talking to this reporter at his new workplace Mohammadia Hotel and Restaurant.
"In the first two months, I paid Tk80,000 in rent and salaries. However, I was waiting for normalcy to return soon. But in June, I completely gave up," recalled a disappointed Habibur.
In the meantime, he spent all his savings.
Things turned so tough for him that Habibur had no choice but to find a job, ending up being a waiter at his friend's restaurant.
"I had to sell land at my village home before starting my own business. But all my dreams got shattered by the coronavirus crisis. I was left almost penniless.
"I was actually mulling expanding my business next year, aiming to cater for my customers, especially, the low- and middle-income people," he said.
Habibur used to make Tk40,000 every month and live in a two-room house with his family in Mohammadpur. He had his sixth grader son enrolled in a good school.
"Now I am working on a monthly salary of just Tk10,000. The amount is too small for me to afford my house rent and bear other family expenses," Habibur said.
Members of his family are also under mental pressure due to the financial hardship, he added.
Surviving the pandemic
This heartbreaking story resembles countless restaurant owners who are bearing the brunt of Covid-19, like people related to other major sectors in the country.
There are around 30,000 small and big restaurants in the country, with over 8,000 in Dhaka city alone, according to Bangladesh Restaurant Owners' Association.
Even though the general holiday was lifted on May 31, the restaurant owners found it too difficult to resume their businesses like the past.
Many of them halved the salaries of their staff as the number of customers dropped drastically.
Habibur now works up to 12 hours, including his eight-hour regular shift, with little chances to enjoy a day off.
Still optimistic about a turnaround, he hopes to start an eatery again sometime soon.
He recounted that it took him nearly 25 years to find financial stability after he started his business.
"Now it all vanished," he said with a heavy tone.
Habibur said he does not think about his child's education at the moment as all his focus is now on surviving the pandemic.
