The lives of small vendors around political hotspots of Dhaka

Yellow bananas and plastic packets of cakes, buns and loaves of bread were hanging from the bars of the makeshift stall, covering three sides. 

Several plastic jars of candies and mineral water bottles occupied most of the 3 by 1.5 feet deck. Inside the other racks were loose cigarettes, betel leaves and nuts, also for sale. 

The seller, Sheuly Begum, was busy attending to customers. It seemed her business was running well, but according to her, it was not. 

Talking to The Business Standard, the woman in her mid-50s said she lived in constant fear of either incurring a loss or her small roadside stall being damaged.   

Sheuly's stall is situated near Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) headquarters in Dhaka's Naya Paltan area, the prime hotspot of political clashes in recent times.  

"On the eve of BNP's mass rally on 28 October, law enforcement personnel verbally instructed us [as well as other roadside vendors] to keep our stalls shut until further notice. I couldn't even open my stall for the next two days. Betel leaves and bakery items worth around Tk8,000 perished," she said, as a recent example of just how vulnerable her business was to political unrest.      

On 28 October, an hour-long fierce clash between BNP activists and law enforcement personnel created a life-threatening atmosphere in Naya Paltan and adjacent areas. Brickbats flew from one side while tear gas shells and rubber bullets rained down from the other.    

Photo: Sadiqur Rahman

The opposition party announced a day-long strike the next day, which was also marred by scattered clashes, prompting businesses across the particular area to shut down.  

For small shops such as the one run by Sheuly, closing it for one day equals a big loss. 

Her 19-year-old son Sohel, who runs a roadside tea stall, said, "Naya Paltan is a busy area and business people and politicians frequent my tea stall. So if I keep this stall shut for one day, I lose a minimum of Tk700." 

In 1998, Sheuly's husband Rafiqul Islam started selling loose cigarettes, betel leaves and nuts from a small cart on the footpaths of Naya Paltan. He ran his large family with whatever he earned from it.

Rafiqul and Sheuly raised three daughters and one son, providing them with minimum support for their schooling.   

However, this flow of income suddenly stopped when the government announced a blanket lockdown in response to the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. 

Neither could the family beg nor could they borrow from relatives. But they needed food to survive and money to pay rent. So, Sheuly took a loan from an NGO. 

"The loan amount was Tk80,000. Even in November 2023, I am paying the instalments with the income from this stall. I am afraid I may not be able to repay the loan if the political conflicts continue," she said. 

Seeking a better fortune, Tota Miah Bepari migrated to Dhaka from Shariatpur 10 years ago and started a small business selling sugarcane juice on a cart in Naya Paltan.  

Most of the day, he parks his cart in front of the City Heart Shopping Complex, which is very close to the BNP headquarters. If he has to stop selling juice for even a single day, "the loss comes to around Tk1,500." 

Once a ruling party, BNP has been out of state power for more than a decade. The Naya Paltan Road has seen numerous protests and rallies against the incumbent government, as well as violent clashes with law enforcement personnel.  

Tota's business has also witnessed sudden and prolonged closures followed by warnings from law enforcement agencies. 

So, why doesn't he shift to another area with his cart? This is because establishing a business, no matter what size it is, takes time.  

Tota shared with us that he has some regular customers who are shop attendants at the City Heart Shopping Complex. 

Besides, people from the Central Police Hospital and shoppers from nearby Polwel Supermarket frequent his cart to quench their thirst for some cold, freshly pressed juice. 

His business flourishes in summer. In winter, he cultivates seasonal vegetables in his village on leased land. 

During the Covid-19 period, as he couldn't sell sugarcane juice, the 43-year-old borrowed Tk3 lakh from an NGO to meet his family's needs and pay for his two daughters' education.  

He repaid some of the loans in phases, soon after the pandemic ended. So far, he has repaid half of it. But now, "I am scared of the coming days as national elections are approaching."   

Since 2013, Shapla Chattar in the Motijheel area has been identified as a prime assembly point for people supporting a particular political ideology. 

On 28 October, it was cordoned off by law enforcement personnel as one political party announced a mass rally there. 

Photo: Sadiqur Rahman

Although it was a government holiday, no small businesses could enter the area. 34-year-old Amin Mohammad, who runs a roadside cloth shop, was among them. 

He shared a similar story of what volume of business he loses if he doesn't operate his shop for one day. "On weekdays, usually I sell clothes worth Tk2,000 on average."

Ten years back, Amin left a job at a garment factory and started his own business, aiming for an increased monthly income. 

So far, the income has been somewhat sufficient to run his family of wife and two small children. But now he is worried about their future.   

"I am not involved in politics; I am an ordinary person. But I have to bear the brunt [of political turmoil] because I run a small business in an area that could turn into a battlefield within minutes," he said.  

The small businesses we interviewed were not involved with any association either. So, there was no one to speak on behalf of them and their woes.