Carrying the burden of 7,000kg per day

How many photographs will you take? It will not change anything! Our bodies get soaked in sweat and you people come here for fun! 

The day labourers, who carry heavy loads at the Gabtoli ghat of the city, were visibly annoyed while speaking with The Business Standard. 

A man eats his breakfast of flatbread and semolina halwa early in the morning at the ghat area. He arrives early at the ghat without any breakfast at home. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

One can't blame them for being testy. They wake up at the crack of dawn and rush to work on the bank of the Buriganga River. As they arrive to work very early, they do not usually have time to eat breakfast. They carry whatever food they have to their workplace. 

Labourers carrying sand from the large boat to the dumping area. These labourers carry around 7,000kg every day and earn Tk500-600 on average daily. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

Female workers come to work a bit late after preparing food for their families. Many have their morning meals with flat breads, halwa or dal at eateries close to the ghat.

Middle of the sunny day, the sweating body after hard work. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

Then begins their day of backbreaking work. Loading and unloading sand, stone, brick and coal to and from the barges anchored at the ghat. They carry goods-laden baskets on their heads.

Their sardars (bosses) make contracts with the aratdars (wholesalers) for unloading the goods when barges carrying sand or stone from different parts of the country reach the ghat. 

A child plays in the sand while his mother carries sand at Gabtoli Ghat. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

Both male and female workers carry baskets full of sand or stone each weighing 25-30 kilograms. They get tally coins to keep track of the load they carry. 

A token is the proof of the load carried by the workers. The carrying price for one basket of sand, coal or stone is only Tk2.30-3.00. A loaded basket weighs around 25-30kg. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

They get their pay when they bring the tally coins to the sardars. Each tally coin has a price depending on the distances they carry. Usually, each tally is worth between Tk2.30 and Tk3. 

Evening sun hits the labourers as evening closes in. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

On average, a labourer can collect 200-250 coins after working 10-11 hours and earns Tk600-700 by carrying around 7,000kg a day.

Many female workers bring their children to the workplace.

Labourers counting their tokens. This will determine their pay. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

Rest times are rare when they can sit and talk. Some also talk on their phones.

Labourers relax on the ghat at night after a day of hard work. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

The day's work stops at 5pm. 

Labourers loading sand to a truck for delivery to the construction sites around the city. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

After sunset, the labourers bathe in the River. Some stay back to talk, some return home. Most of them live in nearby slums or cheap dormitories. Some of them also sleep on the boats that carry bricks.

Workers develop injuries from the load they carry each day. Moinuddin has been working for more than 7 years. Every day he carries around 7,000kg. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

When the night falls, the tired labourers go to bed. Some start a brief conversation over the phone with the near and dear ones and wait to fall asleep.

But the Balur ghat has another phase to start when a different group of labourers awake from their daytime sleep and prepare themselves to carry the stones and bricks to different parts of the city. 

After a long day of hard work, labourers sit down to eat on a boat where they live and carry bricks from the brick fields. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

As the night grows, it is time for them to come to the ghat…