Local administration continues distributing food aid as humanitarian assistance from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina among jobless transport workers, who are severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the list prepared by the district administration, a transport worker is receiving a sack containing five kgs of rice, two kgs of potato and pulses each, and one kg of salt. But, as a large number of transport workers remain out of the list of getting prime minister’s assistance, they are passing through a very difficult time losing their ways of earnings, according to media report.
Although Sheikh Hasina directed the officials concerned to make a list of transport workers for distributing relief materials and cash aid to ease their hardship in this difficult time, the local administration is yet to communicate with the large number of workers, who are not in the list. And she (prime minister) herself has been monitoring the humanitarian assistance activities along with providing necessary directives aiming to offset the adverse impact of the deadly virus attack.
Apart from the government, private
organisations will also have to come
forward to help the transport workers
The nationwide complete shutdown, enforced as part of efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19, has led to widespread unemployment and frustration among transport workers. We think the local administration in association with public representatives like lawmakers, upazila chairmen, city and municipality mayors and councilors and union parishad chairmen and members must make a fresh list with inclusion of real affected workers in each district immediately. And on completion of the list, the relief items should be distributed among the transport workers as early as possible.
It is worth mentioning that there are 4 lakh vehicles in the country like buses, trucks, covered vans, pickup vans, three-wheelers and easy-bikes with around 50 lakh workers involved in the sector and they used to receive wages daily. And the transport sector is incurring losses around Tk 500 crore daily due to the halt in mass traffic movement. We think if the lockdown time is extended further, steps have to be taken to provide assistance to transport workers. Apart from the government, private organisations will also have to come forward to help the transport workers. However, jobless, destitute, unemployed, and helpless people across the country should also be included in the fresh list and continue to get assistance.