And their workers join the frontline
Much of the workplace in Bangladesh has shut down, sending millions of employees home to wait out the coronavirus pandemic.
But the 12,000-odd supermarket staff are not so lucky, who have to report to work each day to sell food and other household staples to a country in the midst of a potentially catastrophic outbreak of the novel virus.
At a time when social distancing is highly advised, people are thronging to the supermarkets to stockpile essentials.
"At first, I was properly panic-stricken," said Md Ibrahim Hossain, who works on the shop floor in Meena Bazar on Dhanmondi-27.
His parents, who live in Jashore, were concerned, and some of his colleague too left the job fearing contagion of the lethal pathogen.
"After cogitating for a while, I decided to stay put. Because, I have to protect my company's reputation. Besides, if my work helps people in this crisis period, I feel honoured," the 20-year-old added.
Like Hossain, a horde of salespersons, whose average age would be 20, have dared to join the army of doctors, nurses, health professionals, food producers, law enforcing agencies, bankers, customs officials and people in various other professions to fight and defeat the coronavirus, even though their salaries, perk and benefits are not attractive enough.
Regarded as minor jobs in the current social setting, service provided by superstore workers have turned to be an essential and esteemed one in Bangladesh during these days of the pandemic.
"When I see them serving customers on the floor, one thing comes to my mind repeatedly. They have not fled the battleground when many doctors here have fled. They stayed to serve us. They are the real soldiers," said a top executive of one of the popular supermarkets, seeking to remain unnamed.
And they are risking their health -- as they come in close contact with large groups of people at a time -- such that the supply of essentials to the city dwellers remains steady and hassle-free.
Whereas salespersons at neighboourhood convenience stores can give products to customers keeping a distance by staying behind the shop counters, the supermarket workers have no such choice: they must help shoppers find their desired products, weigh, pack and hand over to the customers strolling around the shop.
The more people are crowding into stores, the greater the chance that employees will be exposed to the virus.
And at grocery stores, the surge in buying has shown no signs of slowing.
While all supermarkets have taken safety measures to protect its employees and customers, providing them with masks, gloves and hand sanitizers and even personal protective equipment, one can never be 100 per cent sure of immunity from the highly contagious virus.
Some stores check their employees' temperature upon arrival, and some like Unimart has introduced thermal scanners at the entry of its stores to check the temperature of its customers to too not only to protect other shoppers from the risk of contagion but also to shield its employees from the dangerous virus.
Apart from them, some introduced pick and drop services for its employees.
"We have also created accommodation arrangements for our staff and offered incentive equal to one month's salary," said Murtoza Zaman, chief executive of Unimart.
The superstore, which began its journey in July 2013, has 450 employees across four outlets and is providing food for its sales and service staffs.
To encourage the workers, Shwapno, the country's largest supermarket chain with nearly 130 outlets across Dhaka and other major cities, is also providing a monetary incentive to its employees.
When everything is closed and most of the people are staying home, they are providing services to customers taking the risk, said Sabbir Hasan Nasir, executive director of ACI Logistics, the parent company of Shwapno that has 3,300 staffs.
"This is something that calls for recognition. So, now we are providing an incentive to our staff to keep up their mental strength," he said, adding that maintaining a social distance is so difficult in the context of Bangladesh.
Shwapno has also created accommodation facilities for its sales and other support persons so that it can keep stores open and provide services to customers during the shutdown and stay-at-home days.
"Safety of our staff is most important to us," said Kazi Inam Ahmed, a director of Gemcon Group, which owns Meena Bazar, one of the oldest supermarket chains in the country.
Operating through 17 outlets in Dhaka and one in Chattagram, Meena Bazar has arranged pick-up and drop-off services for those who live far.
Meena Bazar has introduced a morning briefing on coronavirus for all its employees. Hand-washing every two hours has been made mandatory for all, too.
The retail supermarket checks the temperature of each employee on entry and asked them to inform if they are unwell so that the company can support them for home quarantine, testing and treatment, Ahmed said.
Despite all the measures taken by operators, the risk and fear do not go away.
The Daily Star on yesterday visited 6 outlets of Agora, Meena Bazar and Shwapno.
Some of the outlets were overcrowded and customers were violating tape-marked social distancing squares.
"My job is more difficult as I work in cash counter. Although I wear gloves and mask but someone told me that the virus can be transported by air," said an employee of Shwapno wishing anonymity.
"My family is worried -- but I am determined to continue my job," he added.
Farhad Ahmad, chief executive of Agora, the first retail chain in Bangladesh that opened in 2001, said it has sent most of its female employees on leave out of safety concerns.
Agora now has 14 outlets in Dhaka, one in Chattogram and two in Sylhet, and pick-up and drop-off services have been introduced in all its stores.
Some of the superstore workers said they are remaining in despite the risk because they just cannot afford to lose the job, he said.
"I am the only earning member of my family. I cannot jeopardise my job by asking for a leave," said an employee of a superstore.
However, Ahmed said providing a safe environment and job safety for their workers is their priority.
"We advise and encourage all supermarkets to ensure job safety if employees are unable to work in such difficult times," he added.
Meanwhile, despite their valiant services, supermarket staff and delivery personnel are facing harassment from police and other authorities, according to the Bangladesh Supermarket Owners' Association (BSOA).
"We have been informed that some of our delivery personnel were beaten up by police even after showing their ID cards," said an official of a superstore.
"This is very unfortunate for those frontline workers, who are taking great risk to help us stay at home by taking necessary items to doorsteps. They are now facing obstacles from law enforcing agencies," said Ahmed, president of BSOA.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has recently issued a circular allowing e-commerce delivery person movement across Dhaka without restriction.
The association is writing a letter to the DMP seeking such free movement for their staff too.
"We urged the authorities immediately to take steps to stop such incidents and state that the superstore workers name as frontline workers at the Coronavirus press briefing," he added.
Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, is always thanking superstore worker at his Coronavirus press briefing. Not only him, around the world superstore staff has garnered the status of frontline workers.
But here in Bangladesh, services rendered by Hossain and thousands of his colleagues in the modern supermarkets and informal neighbourhood stops, which are helping to flatten the curve on coronavirus that has so far 1,231 and killed 50 here, still remain unnoticed to the authorities.
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