‘Poverty did not allow me to go home, even on Eid day’
Waves of joy ripple across the city as Eid is celebrated. However, for some, the day passes without touching them; for them, Eid is just another day of labour and sweat.
Abdal Mia, who drives a battery-run auto-rickshaw in the Jatrabari area, is one such person. His home is in Habiganj, where his wife, two children, and mother live. He spoke to Jago News at the Rayerbag bus stand in Jatrabari.
Explaining why he is working instead of going home for Eid, Abdal said, “Poverty did not allow me to go home. Even on Eid day, I have to stay on the streets. I live alone in Dhaka. What would I do sitting at home? I am working—the day will pass.”
At one point, Abdal became visibly emotional. He struggled to continue speaking, clearly overwhelmed with pain. After a pause, he said, “I have a daughter and a son. My father is no more, but my mother is alive. I left home this morning and will drive until 5:00 pm. I may go home a week or ten days after Eid.”
He had spoken to his family over the phone before leaving in the morning, which seemed to intensify his emotions. Tears streamed down his face, and he could no longer continue.
About 55 years old, Abdal broke down further when a Jago News reporter placed a hand on his back, as if a dam of emotions had burst. He repeatedly wiped his eyes after pulling down his face mask.
At that moment, a passenger arrived. As his auto-rickshaw moved forward with the passenger, it was clear—behind the mask was a father, a husband, a son, quietly weeping.
Meanwhile, Shraban Paribahan operates on the Gulistan–Chittagong Road route. Saddam Mia, a helper on one of its buses, lives in Dhaka with his wife and child. “What Eid do we really have?” he said. “We have to run our families; we have to survive.”
Shafiqul Islam, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver from Mirhajirbagh, said his home is in Thakurgaon, where his family lives. “It is costly and difficult to travel home during Eid. I have sent money for new clothes. Everyone is at home, and I am here in Dhaka. Of course, I feel a bit sad—but what can I do? I will go home a few days after Eid,” he said.