In order to prevent the transmission of coronavirus, a public holiday has been going on in Bangladesh since March 26, due to which all educational institutions, offices and courts, including schools and colleges, are closed.

 

On the one hand, the livelihood of the working people is strained, on the other hand, the risk of infection outside - it is like both crises!

 

In the meantime, low-income people - especially garment workers, domestic workers, rickshaw pullers and transport workers - have become unemployed.

 

However, not only low, but also middle-income people have been affected by the coronavirus 'lockdown'.

 

In the meantime, there are allegations that some companies are cutting the salaries of their employees or paying them half, or even not paying them at all.

 

However, the government has been urging employers not to cut workers' salaries or lay off workers for some time.

 

‘I take classes online, but pay half as much’

Chitra Pereira, an English medium school teacher in Dhaka's Mohammadpur, has been closed since March 18.

 

According to the decision of the authorities, online teaching activities were started in the school from the first week of April.

 

But in the second week of April, authorities said it would not be possible to pay teachers and other staff in full until school activities were normal.

 

The salaries of all the teachers and staff of the school have been halved.

 

“Right now we don't have to go to school, but we are regularly working on the syllabus to create topic material and create online lectures. We also regularly give feedback to students after giving them homework and sending them back to mail or WhatsApp. ”

 

But authorities say they do not have the ability to pay normal salaries in a lockdown situation because students are not coming to school, not paying salaries.

 

"Again, I used to teach batches of children at home. Basically, my family survives on that income. But it has been closed for more than a month and a half. As a result, I had to put my hands on my savings to run the family. ”Miss Pereira says that even with the money saved, it can last for a couple of months.