STORY: The father of two comes to the capital of Dhaka by bus everyday from Savar, a neighbouring industrial town, to pedal his rickshaw where he usually earns 700 taka to 800 taka ($6.37 to $7.28) a day. But due to the ongoing heatwave, Ali needs to rest more in between trips, cutting down his daily income by half.
"The schools were shut for a long holiday, and our business went down. Now, only a few schools are open, we don't get enough trips," Ali told Reuters.
Schools in Bangladesh reopened on Sunday (April 28) after being closed last week, despite the latest 72-hour heat alert being extended until Tuesday (April 30), with temperatures expected to climb above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
The authorities have been encouraging residents to stay indoors and drink water.
Like Ali, tens of thousands of rickshaw operators in Dhaka are suffering the wrath of the scorching sun, trying to find work while most people choose to stay inside.
