People are buzzing in Dinajpur city. In addition to the main road, access to alleys has also become a liability due to traffic jams. Law enforcement personnel are having a hard time managing the crowd.
The shops and shopping malls are also open amid the ongoing lockdown and have increased the crowd of people in the city on the occasion of Eid. People of various professions who have become unemployed are entering the business city of Dinajpur in their struggle to survive during the Corona period.
The wheel of the country's economy has stumbled because of the corona crisis. The burden of losses has become heavy. Some have been unable to survive in the competitive market. Countless people have lost their way of earning a living. Millions of people have returned to their villages after losing their jobs.
In such a situation, many are trying to turn their fate around, even at the risk of their lives. Some people are not finding any way again and are extending their hands in the hope of a little help. It is begging for some, and a struggle for survival for others. New faces are appearing everywhere in the alleys. Most of them are seasonal beggars.
on Friday morning visiting various alleys of Dinajpur, Kacha bazaar, drug store, tea shop, shopping mall, Sadar Hospital, Station Road, Bahadur Bazar, Lilimor, Lutfunechha Tower, Mordan Junction, Maldahapatti, Kachari Bazar, bus and truck stands, many seasonal beggars were seen moving around. Most of them are women and many were moving in groups to get some help from others.
One such woman named Dulali Begum stood at the corner of Old Bahadur Bazar with a prescription in hand. There was no mask on her face rather she covered it with the corner of her Sari. As soon as someone was walking by, she was raising her hand and asking for help. She said her husband is a rickshaw puller and she works in other people's houses. Her employer sacked her because of the Corona situation and her husband's income also came down to half due to the ongoing lockdown. On top of that, her husband fell ill suddenly. She didn’t have any money for his treatment. So she is now asking for people’s help moving from door to door.
Speaking to several such women and men of different ages at various points in the city it was found that, some of them worked as domestic workers, some were cooks in hotels and some used to sell tea on the sidewalks of Dhaka. They had lost their jobs during the corona lockdown last year and have fallen into dire financial crisis. These people who have extended their hands for charity are begging to survive.
On condition of anonymity, a beggar in Lilimore area expressed his grief. The man said with a bit of frustration that he used to work in a shop in Dhaka. Corona pandemic cost him his job and he returned to the village. He looked for a job in many places. But as he could not find work, he came to Dinajpur city every day and extended his hand for help with various excuses. He has been doing this for a month. However, he did not go to the same area for more than one day.
A few people who came to the city for various needs including shopping said on condition of anonymity, this has never been seen before. Wherever you go, four to five people surround you for help. They also said that the traffic jam is increasing this time due to their group movement. They also complained that most of the shops are not following the hygiene rules.
