Bangladesh lockdown dried up earnings of 51% households: BRAC study

The lockdown designed to strangle the coronavirus outbreak has affected income of 95 percent people while 51 percent households had no earnings, a BRAC study has found.

It published the findings in a virtual press conference on Tuesday after the survey on 2,317 people in all 64 districts between May 9 and May 13.

As much as 62 percent of the people who have low income or depend on daily wage lost opportunity to work and 28 percent became totally inactive in economic activities, said one of the researchers, Iffat Anjum Anika.

The average monthly income of the households had been Tk 24,565 before the lockdown began on Mar 26, but it dropped by 76 percent to Tk 7,096 during the restrictions, BRAC said.

The rate of fall in income was higher in urban areas, 79 percent, than in villages, 75 percent, according to the study.

Five districts were affected the most with income drop between 93 and 96 percent. They are Pirojpur, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Gaibandha, and Brahmanbaria.

The households depending on income of women suffered more with 80 percent drop in income than those depending on men, 75 percent.

As much as 57 households depending on income of women said they had no income while the rate was 49 percent in households depending on income of men, according to the study.

BRAC recommended focus on the poor in the government’s bailout packages, efforts to cushion the economy and making of an open database of the families that need help.