Sushanta Ghosh, Barishal

The economic hardships due to the countrywide shutdown are pushing many towards extreme poverty. As unemployment mounts, many are being forced to innovate to find a way to sustain their lives.

Layli Begum (42) is such an example. A resident of Barishal city’s Alekanda Refugee slum area, Layli used to work as a domestic help. Her husband died two years ago, and all she has left now is Poly, her 16-year-old daughter. During the lockdown, both of them lost their jobs.

Unable to cover the family’s daily expenditures they thought they could pass the days on relief aid. However, they didn’t receive any.

The duo have now resorted to making paper bags or “thongas” to try to live through the crisis.

“After my employer fired me I was pushed into great trouble. I looked for jobs everywhere, but the neighbourhood, including shops, markets, and factories had shut down, so there was no way to get any work,” she told this correspondent.

“At this point, we started collecting old paper -- khata (notebooks), books, discarded newspaper -- and started making thongas,” she continued.

“We are able make around 40 kgs of thongas per week. We sell them to wholesalers for Tk 34 per kg.”

Kanchan Howlader, a wholesaler of old paper packets at Bazar road area of the city said he is buying one mound of the produce per day during the lockdown period. However, this is only half of what he bought during regular times.

Atahar Ali Howlader, another wholesaler, said as number of jobless people increase, many are now trying to get into the trade. Over five hundred people are now making thongas out of discarded paper, he said.

While it’s great that Layli and Poly are finding a way to navigate the crisis through this vocation, it’s clear from the traders’ statement that this isn’t sustainable in the long term, and that relief aid must reach the poor as soon as possible.

Contacted, Md Moazzem Hossain, administration officer of Barishal City Corporation, said they have already distributed 45 thousand packets of relief material for the 45 thousand poor people who live across 19 slums of the city. If any one is yet to receive their package, they will get it soon, he added.