Monsoon Rains Force Dhaka Street Vendors to Choose Between Livelihood and Survival

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Persistent rainfall across the Bangladeshi capital on Saturday brought economic hardship to the city’s informal workforce, leaving street-side vendors struggling to sustain their livelihoods. In the Mirpur area, persistent downpours rendered footpaths deserted, effectively halting daily commerce for those who rely on high-volume, low-margin street trade.

For Rani Begum, a street vendor who operates a small food stall near the Bangladesh-German Technical Training Center in Mirpur-2, the rain meant a near-total loss of business. By early afternoon, her cooking stove—typically used for preparing rotis, lentils, and vegetable dishes—had been extinguished, and the bench provided for customers sat empty. Begum, who has become the sole breadwinner for her family following her husband’s stroke last Ramadan, noted that her daily sales had plummeted to just 370 taka by midday, a sharp contrast to the 1,000 to 1,500 taka she earns on productive days.

Begum’s routine is rigid, beginning at dawn to ensure she is ready for the morning commute. Despite the physical toll of her work and the pressure of medical expenses—including 700 taka monthly for her elderly mother’s hypertension medication—she maintains that she has no choice but to work through the inclement weather. She emphasized that her household’s survival is entirely dependent on her daily income, leaving no margin for the losses incurred during heavy rain.

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The struggle is mirrored a few kilometers away in Mirpur-11, where Khokon Das, a cobbler who has spent 28 years repairing shoes and bags on the capital’s streets, faced a similar plight. By early afternoon on Saturday, Das had recorded zero earnings. On a good day, he can earn up to 1,200 taka, but consecutive days of rain have left him unable to cover his basic expenses, including the 7,000 taka monthly rent for his small apartment.

Das, originally from Khulna, expressed deep anxiety over his dwindling savings. With his wife currently unemployed and the responsibility of his younger son’s education and his daughter’s future wedding costs weighing on him, any day without income forces him to dip into his meager reserves. Like Begum, Das views the street as his only option. He continues to set up his station regardless of the forecast, clinging to the hope that even a single customer will appear to provide the income necessary to survive another day in a city where the cost of living remains relentless.