Small businesses, daily earners scorched by heatwave

After parking his motorcycle and removing his helmet, a young biker opened a red umbrella and stood on the footpath.

He purchased the umbrella for Tk 400 on Tuesday at a 'no-bargain price' since the demand for umbrellas has soared ever since a heatwave began sweeping over the country nearly three weeks ago.

"The salesman said he would only show me umbrellas if I bought one at a fixed price. I had no choice but to accept because I need to save myself from heat when I get off my bike," the slim young man, named Suman Ali, said.

He was waiting for passengers to inquire in person or call for a ride through an app at the capital's Sankar area.

The 28-year-old from Naogaon started his bike at 9:00pm, when the sun was beginning to blaze and temperatures were rising.

Until noon, by which time the temperature had soared to 38 degrees Celsius, he could earn just Tk 500. He said he could earn far more on a normal day, when average temperatures remain around 33.6 degrees Celsius.

"Because of excessive heat, people are not coming out of their homes unless there is an emergency. Also, the number of riders is higher than the number of customers. So, overall fares have declined," said Ali.

He said he normally earns around Tk 2,000 between the hours of 9:00am and 6:00pm every day. But over the past week, his average income has been slashed by nearly half.

"It is also very tough to drive in such heat. At signals or amid traffic jams, you have to bear the heat radiating from cars around you and the pitched roads," he said.

Another rider, who parked his bike just behind Ali's, echoed those sentiments. He also attributed the decline in daily income to the ongoing heatwave, which has caused the usually jam-packed roads to become almost empty.

Such riders are among a section of workers suffering from losses in income due to high temperatures and humidity.

Over the last seven days, heatwaves have made the temperature in the capital four to five degrees Celsius higher than the corresponding days in the last 30 years.

Apart from health risks, this has also affected the incomes of a wide range of workers, from rickshaw pullers, restaurant workers, and street vendors to stores inside the city's numerous markets.

The heatwave and consequent decline in passengers wiped out the income of rickshaw-puller Md Anarul, the breadwinner for a family of four. They reside in a rented house in Dhaka's Adabor.

From 8:30am to noon yesterday, he could earn Tk 370. He had only two hours to go until he would have to return the rickshaw to the owner and pay Tk 150 as daily rent.

"On one hand, you have to toil hard and sweat when you are out on the street. On the other hand, you don't have people asking for rides. Schools and colleges are suspended. I have been earning less for around a week," he said.

But the hardships do not end there.

"You have to buy coils to fight mosquitoes and bear high temperatures at night too," Anarul said while waiting for passengers near the Jigatola intersection in Dhanmondi in the afternoon.

Yesterday, the mercury hit 38 degrees Celsius in Dhaka, the business and economic centre of the country.

Nearly a kilometre away, Md Akbar, a hawker selling t-shirts at Dhanmondi Hawkers' Market, was waiting for customers. He could not sell anything in the first one and a half hours since opening the shop, the young seller said.

Behind him, Mirpur Road, which remains congested on normal days, saw little flow of vehicles and rickshaws.

"In general, sales remain subdued after the Eid holidays. The heatwave has driven sales down further. No one is going out unless it is an emergency," said Mohammad Aiman, a salesman at a garment store at Dhanmondi Hawkers Market.

"We used to see customers in the evening hours after the heat subsides," said Jaminur Islam, a footwear seller at City's Elephant Road.

However, Mohammad Ashraful, who works as a food-delivery rider, said his income has not declined since the flow of online orders has remained intact.

He said that he does not refuse any orders although it is hard to stay on the street due to the heat, but added that many, especially students, had reduced their orders.

Zahedul Islam, head of public affairs and public relations at foodpanda Bangladesh, said they witnessed a surge in orders as people are opting to order in rather than face the heat.

"There has been a substantial increase in orders in April, 2024 compared to the corresponding month of the previous year, with 'tehari' and 'kacchi biryani' emerging as the most-ordered items," he said.

However, Md Helal Uddin, president of the Bangladesh Shop Owners Association, said turnout at restaurants had declined.

"In fact, there is no business because of the ongoing heatwave. Usually, sales remain dull after Eid ul Fitr, but the heatwave has caused sales to decline further. However, our costs have not dropped. We have to keep the fans and air conditioners on. Our electricity bill will rise."

Amid the downturn, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department yesterday said the prevailing heatwave may continue until April 26.