As Bangladesh unveils another ambitious national budget packed with promises of growth, investment and development, millions of workers who keep the country's informal economy running say the announcements feel distant from their daily realities.
For the vast majority of Bangladesh's workforce"nearly eight out of every ten workers employed in the informal sector"the budget often remains an exercise in numbers rather than a roadmap to a better life.
Under the scorching afternoon sun in Gulistan, 32-year-old fruit vendor Emad Mia continued serving customers on the very day the government announced its largest-ever national budget. Like millions of others, he has spent his entire working life outside the formal economy, with no employment contract, social protection or pension.
While he understands the significance of a national budget, he struggles to see its impact on his own life.
"Earlier, a monthly income of Tk10,000 to Tk15,000 was enough to run a family. Now I earn nearly Tk20,000, but still can't manage household expenses properly," he said.
His frustration echoes across the country's sprawling informal workforce, where rising prices have steadily eroded purchasing power despite modest increases in earnings.
A few kilometres away in Motijheel, 74-year-old roadside trader Shafiqul Islam shares a similar sense of disappointment. Running a small business with two employees who earn Tk500 a day, he says soaring costs have squeezed profit margins to the point where survival has become a challenge.
Among his growing concerns, healthcare tops the list.
"The moment you enter a doctor's chamber, money starts disappearing," he said. "Recently, I had to postpone some medical tests because I simply couldn't afford them."
Shafiqul remains sceptical about whether the new budget will bring any meaningful relief. "Every government promises something. But by the time it reaches ordinary people, corruption has already taken its share," he remarked.
For Shahidur Rahman, a 26-year-old rickshaw puller, the struggle is even more immediate. Forced to abandon his scrap business in Sirajganj following last year's political unrest, he moved to the capital and began pulling a rickshaw to support his family.
Yet his earnings have remained largely stagnant while the cost of essentials continues to climb. Rice that sold for around Tk60 per kilogram a year ago now costs nearly Tk80.
"We don't want handouts," Shahidur said. "We want opportunities to earn. If the government can keep prices under control, that alone would help us survive."
Economists say such sentiments reflect a deeper structural problem.
Professor Sharmind Neelormi of Jahangirnagar University argues that the informal sector often falls through policy gaps because informality itself is not recognised as a separate budgetary category.
"Informality is not a sector; it is a condition," she explained. "That is why it rarely receives direct attention in budget allocations."
According to her, Bangladesh needs a comprehensive lifecycle-based social protection framework that supports citizens from childhood education to healthcare, employment security and old-age protection, preventing temporary shocks from pushing families into long-term poverty.
The burden of inflation is equally evident in the transport sector.
Bus driver Md. Asmat Ali says expenses that once required Tk300 now demand at least Tk400, while his monthly income has fallen significantly"from around Tk25,000-Tk30,000 to Tk18,000-Tk20,000.
At the same time, higher fuel costs have increased operating expenses and intensified disputes over transport fares.
Meanwhile, at a roadside stall in Motijheel, 55-year-old cobbler Ajay Monirishi struggles with a different reality. Despite working every day, he says customer numbers have dwindled sharply.
"There are days when I don't even earn Tk100," he said.
Small entrepreneur and mobile banking agent Md. Anis Ali also points to weakening consumer spending as a growing concern. Rising living costs have reduced people's ability to save and spend, hurting small businesses already grappling with higher operating expenses.
Though their occupations differ, the message from Bangladesh's informal workforce is remarkably consistent.
They are not asking for grand promises or headline-grabbing projects. They want affordable food, accessible healthcare, stable income opportunities, protection from sudden price hikes and stronger social safety nets.
