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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Shuhang migrated from Bangladesh to the Kurdistan Region city of Erbil in 2011. He cleans the streets of this city for eight hours a day.
In a time of public crisis, Shuhang is happy that the lockdown has at least emptied the streets of litterers.
“Two months ago the streets were very dirty. They smelled bad. They’re now clean as people don’t come and litter. If they are always clean like that, diseases will decrease. Coronavirus is harmful, we should keep ourselves clean.”
After seven years away from home, he returned to Bangladesh for four months and got married. He now has a daughter that he has never met in person.
“I have never hugged her. I can only see her via video and Viber. I wish I could return and hug her, but there is no way.”
Bangladesh too has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with 30 deaths and 482 cases of the virus recorded. The country is now on lockdown.
Shuhang has called his family every day since the outbreak began, warning them of the virus' dangers.
“I tell my wife every day to take care of my daughter and clean her and her hands, her clothes," he said. "I also tell her not to go out and sit at the gates with the neighbours. It’s banned. If you leave your home you’ll be fined $50 and detained for three days.”
Nearly 10,000 foreign workers from Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Philippines clean the streets of Erbil, earning a monthly salary of around $500, according to estimates by companies they work for. Like Shuhang, many can only afford to live in cramped conditions. He lives in a dormitory, sharing a kitchen and bathroom with several other migrants.
He advises locals to keep their own streets clean, instead of hiring foreign workers to do the job.
“If the streets are clean, Kurdistan will save money and they will no longer need me to clean the streets and give me money. Coronavirus has destroyed the world, there is no work, no money. If the city is clean, they won’t spend as much money on cleaning.”
Though his working conditions are difficult, Shuhang considers Erbil home.
“I have two homes: one is in Bangladesh and the other is in Kurdistan.”
Reporting by Barzan Mohammed
In a time of public crisis, Shuhang is happy that the lockdown has at least emptied the streets of litterers.
“Two months ago the streets were very dirty. They smelled bad. They’re now clean as people don’t come and litter. If they are always clean like that, diseases will decrease. Coronavirus is harmful, we should keep ourselves clean.”
After seven years away from home, he returned to Bangladesh for four months and got married. He now has a daughter that he has never met in person.
“I have never hugged her. I can only see her via video and Viber. I wish I could return and hug her, but there is no way.”
Bangladesh too has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with 30 deaths and 482 cases of the virus recorded. The country is now on lockdown.
Shuhang has called his family every day since the outbreak began, warning them of the virus' dangers.
“I tell my wife every day to take care of my daughter and clean her and her hands, her clothes," he said. "I also tell her not to go out and sit at the gates with the neighbours. It’s banned. If you leave your home you’ll be fined $50 and detained for three days.”
Nearly 10,000 foreign workers from Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Philippines clean the streets of Erbil, earning a monthly salary of around $500, according to estimates by companies they work for. Like Shuhang, many can only afford to live in cramped conditions. He lives in a dormitory, sharing a kitchen and bathroom with several other migrants.
He advises locals to keep their own streets clean, instead of hiring foreign workers to do the job.
“If the streets are clean, Kurdistan will save money and they will no longer need me to clean the streets and give me money. Coronavirus has destroyed the world, there is no work, no money. If the city is clean, they won’t spend as much money on cleaning.”
Though his working conditions are difficult, Shuhang considers Erbil home.
“I have two homes: one is in Bangladesh and the other is in Kurdistan.”
Reporting by Barzan Mohammed
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