THE average income in the slums of Bangladeshi cities and among the rural poor has dropped by more than 80 per cent since the outbreak of COVID-19, according to a latest survey.
"A total of 63 per cent of such population, including day labourers, plastic workers, restaurant workers, maids, transport workers, agriculture laborers, construction and factory workers, petty businessmen, shop assistants and rickshaw pullers became economically inactive during the time," said the survey.
Bangladesh has reported 2,456 COVID-19 cases in the country with 91 deaths.
The survey was jointly conducted by the Power and Participation Research Centre and BRAC Institute of Governance and Development.
The survey covered 5,471 households in urban slums and rural areas earlier in April.
Currently, over 3,300 slums in the capital Dhaka house around 646,000 people, mostly comprising of poor day labourers and rickshaw drivers, while more than 70 per cent of the country's 165 million people live in rural areas.
Of the total population, 20 per cent live under the poverty line, according to government data.
The survey said that some 40 per cent of the poor population and 35 per cent of the vulnerable non-poor have already reduced their food consumption to cope with the situation amid the pandemic.
The per capita income in the slums had dropped by 82 per cent to 27 Bangladeshi takas ($0.32) during the survey week from 108 takas ($1.30) in February, while per-capita income among the rural poor declined by 79 per cent to 33 takas ($0.39) from 89 takas ($1.05), it said.
Experts suggest that the government must partially withdraw the countrywide lockdown after April 25, the deadline of the existing shutdown.
