True to the words of this song of prominent Bengali singer Anjan Dutt, many people come to the capital with dreams of a better earning and a better life leaving their kinsfolk. They dedicate themselves to making their dreams come true in the city life. Whether they succeed or not, they continue their struggle for survival.
But that dream has suffered a big jolt recently. It has been very difficult to continue the struggle of life by the city dwellers, especially for the low and middle income people amid the Covid-19 pandemic period.

Because, many people are losing their jobs and with means of livelihood stopped, haven't been able to pay their house rent for the last three months.

To stop spreading the deadly coronavirus, the government had imposed countrywide lockdown for 66 days after the detection of the virus. All businesses and companies were under general holidays. Except emergency services, all came to a standstill.

So, the country is going through an economic recession from then. People's purchasing power has decreased.

Though, the government has lifted the lockdown from last June 1. But, most of the private companies and organizations have taken the way of cost reduction and they want to recover their loss of lockdown period by laying off their staff in large number.

As a result, many people are now jobless and they are not able to cope with the on going situation. How will they provide food for their family and how will they pay the house rent?

According to a recent report of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), 13 per cent people have already lost their jobs. The situation involving the working class is more precarious. A report prepared by the Department of Factories and Inspection and Establishment (DIFE), a government agency, on June 1 this year, as many as 26 lakh RMG workers have lost their jobs. After finding no way, they are taking decision to leave Dhaka and go to their own villages or hometowns. At least they don't have to pay house rent there.

According to an unofficial statistics more then 50,000 people already have left the capital and it may increase unexpectedly.

Kamal Ahmed (Pseudonym), recently left Dhaka to his own village in Kishoreganj, told to this correspondent, "I worked in a private firm in sales department. We couldn't work during lockdown period and company didn't pay us during the period. When lockdown was lifted then I joined my work. But, after three days I got a letter of termination from the admin."

"It is not possible to survive in Dhaka city without job. So, I was forced to leave Dhaka with my family," he added.

Mafijul Islam Robin, a dweller of Banglamotor, said, "I have noticed that every day one or another family is leaving Dhaka from the alley of my house. To-let notices are being hung in front of every house."
In this regard, SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB), told The Daily Observer, "It is very alarming that people are leaving Dhaka losing their jobs. They are not in the government safety net. They are not being included in the alternative jobs."

"The names of these people who are temporary residents in the city are not on the City Corporation's aid list. They are being deprived from the government's safety net," he added.

Meanwhile, Varatia Parishad, a non-governmental organization, working on tenant's rights, is going to file a writ petition in the court demanding waiver of three-month house rent.

Md Baharane Sultan Bahar, president of Varatia Parishad, said, "We have been demanding of the government for three months' house rent waiver considering the ongoing crisis period. But, the government is not listening to us. As a result, the low income group people are leaving Dhaka alarmingly."
"Since the government is not complying with our demands. So we will file a writ in court next Monday," he added.