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Around 12 informal labour markets in Rangpur city are witnessing growing crowds of daily wage workers seeking jobs, but most are returning home empty-handed amid a sharp decline in agricultural and construction activities.
Between 120 and 150 labourers gather at each market every day, hoping to find work, but many have remained unemployed for most days over the past month. With the government’s 40-day employment generation programme yet to begin due to a lack of allocation, many workers are struggling to support their families and are being forced to borrow money at high interest rates.
The labour markets, locally known as ‘Kamlar Haat’, operate at 12 locations across the city, including Ganeshpur, Shapla Chattar, Station Road, Modern More, Satmatha, Mahiganj, Darshana, Terminal, Nazirhat, Tajhat, Lalbagh and Chikli.
Workers gather before dawn with spades, sickles, baskets, ropes and other tools, waiting to be hired for digging earth, carrying bricks, sand and stones, making bamboo fences and other manual jobs. However, the scarcity of work has left many waiting for hours without finding employment.
Labourers said they previously managed to find work at least four days a week, but now many get only one or two days of employment.
At Ganeshpur labour market, Shariful Islam, a man in his fifties from Badarganj, said he had managed to find work on only five days over the past month, remaining unemployed for the other 25 days.
“I am struggling to run my family by borrowing money at high interest rates,” he said.
Another worker, Moinuddin Mia, said he had found work on only two days in the past week.
“I wait at the market for hours, but nobody comes to hire workers. How can I run my family without an income? I have no choice but to borrow at high interest rates,” he said.
Monowarul Islam, who comes to Shapla Chattar from Deodoba Dangirpar village in Rangpur Sadar, said he had never experienced such a severe shortage of work.
Lal Babu Barman of Mominpur said daily wage labour was his only source of livelihood, leaving him without income whenever work was unavailable.
Most of the workers are landless, while some own homesteads but have no cultivable land, making them heavily dependent on daily employment.
According to the Department of Disaster Management and Relief, around 68,000 extremely poor families across five districts in the Rangpur region are listed for assistance under the employment generation programme.
The region traditionally experiences a seasonal shortage of work in October and November. During this period, one member from each listed family is supposed to receive employment under the government’s 40-day programme, working five days a week at Tk400 per day.
Rangpur District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Golam Kibria said the programme had not started this year because the government had yet to provide the necessary allocation.
“In previous years, the allocation usually arrived by the last week of October. But this year, we are not sure whether it will be provided,” he said.
Workers are hoping for some relief as Aman paddy is beginning to ripen and harvesting is expected to start within days. Demand for agricultural labour is also likely to increase with the upcoming potato, maize and winter vegetable cultivation seasons.
Local residents said reduced construction activities had further narrowed employment opportunities. Without the resumption of construction work and the release of funds for the government programme, however, the hardship facing daily wage workers may continue.
