Their eid comes with hunger

"Eid has arrived. Everyone is getting bonuses, buying new clothes for their families. But where will we get a bonus? Forget new clothes for the children—we are worried about how we will even manage one meal a day after a couple of days."

These were the words of Piar Ali, a day laborer over sixty years old. While Eid brings happiness to most people, thousands of day laborers struggle just to survive. For them, the festival is not about celebration but about finding a way to have even one meal a day. These workers, who sell their labor in daily labor markets, barely manage to afford two meals when they have work. But when long holidays arrive and job opportunities vanish, many are left starving. They urge local authorities and the wealthy to take initiatives to help them escape this cycle of suffering.

There are several "labor markets" in Savar, Ashulia, and Dhamrai, where workers negotiate their wages and sell their labor for a single day. These markets start at dawn and close between 10 AM and 11 AM. Across these three areas, there are around 16 such labor markets, where nearly 4,000 men and women work daily. The daily wage ranges from 500 to 800 BDT for men and 400 to 600 BDT for women. There are no holidays in these markets—whether it's scorching heat, rain, or cold, the labor trade continues year-round.

These labor markets operate in Boliarpur, Fulbaria, Savar Bus Stand, Nabinagar, Nayarhat, the Export Processing Zone, and several other places like Dhamrai Joypur, Vhararia, Dhantara, and Kalamapur. Just like commodities, workers here are bought and sold through bargaining. People from different regions come to these markets in search of work. Once an agreement is reached between the worker and the employer, the deal is finalized. If a worker fails to sell their labor for the day, they return home empty-handed.

A visit to these labor markets in Savar, Ashulia, and Dhamrai reveals a heartbreaking reality—the people selling their labor have no plans or joy for Eid.

Both men and women sell their labor on daily, weekly, or monthly contracts. Most of them work on daily contracts. In these markets, younger laborers are valued higher, while the elderly and weaker workers earn less. Women are also paid less than men. In this time of high inflation, their earnings barely cover their daily expenses. When Eid or other festivals arrive, their struggles intensify.

This year, as in previous years, demand for laborers declined as soon as Ramadan began, leaving many unemployed. For them, Eid is not a time for joy but a struggle to put food on the table.

Expressing their frustration, the workers said that despite their daily struggles to survive, no one pays attention to them. They complain that neither the local administration nor the wealthy in society show any concern for their well-being.

Lal Mia from Nilphamari, a regular laborer at the EPZ market in Ashulia, shared his story and said "We are poor people. We work hard all day just to eat two meals. I have children and a wife to take care of. Eid is coming. How will I buy new clothes for them? If I get work for one day, I have to sit idle for the next three days. Still, I hope that if I find good work and someone helps me, I will buy new clothes for my two daughters. Otherwise, we will continue as we are—sometimes eating, sometimes not. For us, the day we can afford good food is the real Eid. But when work stops, even buying essentials becomes difficult for us."

Another laborer, Piar Ali, said "Last Eid, I managed to buy new clothes for my children. This time, it is impossible. I hardly got any work during Ramadan. On top of that, I fell sick and had to take loans for my treatment. If the government or wealthy people help us, at least we can survive through this Eid."

Sathi Akter, a female laborer, also shared her pain and said "I used to work in a garment factory, but I lost my job. A few months ago, I started coming to this labor market. I had no choice but to do this work to survive. But even here, I don’t get enough work. If I work one day, I have to sit idle for the next three days. Women get paid less than men. With this small amount of money, I somehow manage my household expenses. Forget about Eid—I don’t even know how I will run my household. No one comes to help us. We are the most neglected people in society."

When asked about this issue, KM Shahiduzzaman, an official at the Upazila Social Services Office, said "We have several ongoing projects. We will try to bring them under these programs. After Eid, we will definitely work on this issue."