Syed Shemul Parvez :
A large number of city dwellers have been leaving the capital city or changing residence as the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic has struck their livelihoods tremendously. The lower-middle class of people are main victims now.
Many of them, who lost their jobs, and for severe reduction of earning sources, have been forced to leave the city as they have become unable to survive here due to high house rent and other expenses.
That is why many of them are leaving the city and going to the villages. Some people are moving to the small houses to minimise budget.
At present, it can be easily found in the residences on bonth sides of the streets of capital To-Let.
Some city dwellers, who have become victims for the present situation, told The New Nation that they decided to leave the house as they cannot afford with the pressure of house rent.
Hazrat Ali has been unable to pay his house rent for three months, as he could not do his job due to the nationwide shutdown over the coronavirus outbreak. So he has no other choice but to leave his dream city Dhaka with his family and their belongings.
According to the data of United Nations World Urbanization Prospect’s 2018, the total population of Dhaka is 17 million. But many of them are leaving Dhaka after losing their jobs due to the outbreak of corona.
The Bharatiya Porishod, an organization of tenants in Dhaka, said that more than 50,000 tenants have already left the capital due to house rent pressures.
According to a survey by the Policy Research Institute (PRI), a Dhaka-based private research institute, at least 1.5 crore people in the country have lost their jobs due to corona.
The International Labour Organization (ILO), last April, reported that the virus could wipe out 19 crore jobs across the world this year. The ILO estimated that the Asia-Pacific region would see the greatest loss in work hours.
According to a joint survey conducted by BRAC, DataSense and Unnayan Shamannay, the pandemic has put 10.22 crore people to financial and economic risk. Among the surveyed, 34 per cent family said at least one of the family members has lost their jobs.
Experts including economists and analysts of the country are very concern over the situation and said that it will be very difficult for the low-income and the labourer class of people to get rid of this adverse situation, if the government does not take special steps to speed up economic activity and protect them.
The exodus started after Covid-19 hit the country early March, prompting the government to announce a general holiday.
