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Eid of a Mishuk driver

Julfikar Ali Manik
Last year Mishuk driver Mujibur Rahman Sikder had saved Tk 10,000 to spend on his family for Eid.
Titis year, he is not sure he can even afford the ticket to go home to Barisal to be with his family.
"1 don11 know how it came to this. Last year I could afford to spend Tk 10,000 to celebrate Eid. This year I have nothing," the man in his late thirties says with shame in his eyes.
Apart from his wife and two kids, Mujib’s mother and three siblings - - two brothers and a sister is dependent on him.
The cost of living has soared so high over the past one year that Tk 90 per litre from Tk 67 last year. Alongside the daily rent he pays to the owner of the three-wheeler has also gone up fromTk 250 toTk 350. In addition the price of essentials has gone up to more than double of what it used to be.
Mujibur has to send home Tk 8,000 per month to support his exten ded family of seven.
"I live in a mess at Kachukhet where my rent has gone up this year. I could buy coarse rice forTk 14 -15 per kilogram last year. The same rice now costsTk 35 a kg,” he says.
. The 3B year old mads - voice-breaks down as he says. "I feel so helpless and desperate, how am I going to survive?"
Mujib is not alone in this city in his woes. Almost all people belonging to the marginal income group have similar such heart-rending stories to tell. Most families in this income group will not be celebrating Eid this year, but living through it only.
Ramadan and its related increase in essentials have added to their
Mujib smiles, almost with sarcasm, as he recalls how he spent Eid last year, "I bought my mum a saree you know, and a salwar kamiz set for my only sister. I also bought new clothes for my brothers, my wife and children."
"I am almost embarrassed to face them this year,” he says as his face cringes in pain.
Mujib is the eldest of four children. He quit his studies and started working right after completing his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination when his father passed away suddenly.
"The income from the little agricultural land we have is not adequate for my family's maintenance. I wanted my younger brothers and sister to continue with their studies so I took up their responsibilities myself," he said.
"My youngest brother is studying for his graduation and bears his own expenses by teaching young children," Mujib explained.
“Our eyes are now on my other
brother who is going to complete his postgraduate degree very soon. Once he gets his degree and then a job, he will help me out,' he says adding “ I try to be optimistic, but at the rate the cost of living is going up, I don’t know what is going to happen."
Mujib left this correspondent to go in search of more passengers to try and make just a little bit of money to at least be able to go home.
Even with so much gloom looming over him, his parting words are quite surprising
He says, “My only sister has passed Higher Secondary Certificate
5. Believe me, if I could save even a^rir of money, I wouldn't spend it on Eid but to get her into a reputed university. She is a good student, and I want her future to be better than mine."