Three days of relentless rain have paralyzed daily life in Paikgachha upazila, Khulna, leaving low-income earners facing extreme hardship.
Incessant downpours have flooded low-lying areas and rural dirt roads. With residents staying indoors unless absolutely necessary, typically busy markets and streets—including those in the municipal headquarters—remain deserted.
The adverse weather has hit daily wage earners the hardest. Day laborers, rickshaw pullers, van drivers, agricultural workers, and fishermen report severe income losses as outdoor work has halted. Normal activities along the rivers and in fish enclosures have also been significantly disrupted.
"If I don’t work for a day, my family doesn’t eat. Now, there has been no work for three days," said Islam Sardar, an agricultural laborer. "If this continues, we will starve."
Nazrul Islam, a local van driver, echoed this struggle, noting a sharp drop in income due to empty streets despite braving the rain all day.
Local businesses are similarly affected. Sheikh Mamunur Rashid, a shop owner, reported that trade has come to a near standstill, with raw markets and daily necessity stores seeing almost no customers.
Additionally, local farmers are expressing concern over potential waterlogging damage to Aman paddy fields and seedbeds. Local advocates warn that if the heavy rains continue, the economic suffering of the upazila's working class will deepen into a severe crisis.
