Abstract
This article examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income city dwellers in Bangladesh. Methods considered a content analysis to investigate the urban poor’s ability to navigate the challenges brought by the pandemic. The study employed 286 news articles from national newspapers, spanning 17 March 2020 to 31 December 2020, collected via online portals and analysed using QSR NVivo 12. The content analysis revealed significant and comprehensive themes, including affected sectors, impacted demographics, shocks, stresses across different fields, and co** strategies. The study reflected on how the nationwide lockdown initially jolted the country and subsequently affected sectors, notably the ready-made garments (RMG), small and medium enterprises (SME), and informal sectors. The broader social and economic repercussions, such as income decline, food insecurity, limited access to healthcare and education, and exacerbation of existing inequalities, begged further investigation. This exploration could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by the urban poor during the pandemic. This article highlighted the role of media in raising the voices of low-income individuals during the pandemic, advocating for legislative changes and community support. To enhance future pandemic management, it would be imperative to prioritise accurate reporting by the media, utilise technology for outreach, and foster collaboration with governments and public health organisations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Source: Authors (2024)
Source: Authors (2024)
Source: Authors (2024)
Source: Authors (2024)
Source: Authors (2024)
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
The Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC, 2008) categorised the extremely poor into three distinct groups: the extremely transitory poor, the extremely chronically poor, and the destitute. Within CPRC's classification, two additional categories are identified: the cyclical poor, or fluctuating poor, referring to individuals who cycle in and out of poverty periodically, representing the extreme transitory poor. The extremely chronically poor experience non-poverty phases intermittently. Destitute individuals consistently fall below the defined poverty line in each period, potentially due to health issues, age, or physical/mental impairment, rendering them economically inactive. Unlike the destitute, the extremely transitory and extremely chronically poor are considered economically active, as per Hossain (2014).
References
Adger WN, Arnell NW, Tompkins EL (2005) Successful adaptation to climate change across scales. Glob Environ Chang 15(2):77–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2004.12.005
Adhikary TS, Hasan R (2020) 10-Day Shutdown: lax enforcement a cause of worry. The daily star. https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/10-day-shutdown-lax-enforcement-cause-worry-1888303
Ahmed M (2010) Defining, measuring and addressing vulnerability: the case of post-conflict environments. [Thesis, Maastricht University]. https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/uploads/1303133092.pdf
Ahmed S (2020) Corona has put snack sellers on the road. Kalerkantho. https://www.kalerkantho.com/print-edition/news/2020/07/15/934873
Aman H (2020) Livelihood of the poor shattered. Daily sun. https://www.daily-sun.com/post/478841/Livelihood-of-the-poor-shattered-sun
Badal AR (2020) 25% workers paid wages from government’s coronavirus relief package. Bdnews24.Com. https://bdnews24.com/economy/2020/05/10/25-workers-paid-wages-from-governments-coronavirus-relief-package
Baloran ET (2020) Knowledge, attitudes, Anxiety, and co** strategies of students during COVID-19 pandemic. J Loss Trauma 25(8):635–642. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2020.1769300
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2015). Population and housing census 2011: national report volume-01: analytical report. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from http://203.112.218.65:8008/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/PopCenZilz2011/NRV-1Report2011.pdf
Banks N (2012) Urban poverty in Bangladesh: causes consequences and co** strategies. SSRN Electronic J. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2166863
Bashar R (2020) Dairy farmers hit hard by coronavirus lockdown in Bangladesh. Bdnews24.Com. https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/dairy-farmers-hit-hard-by-coronavirus-lockdown-in-bangladesh
Bdnews24.Com (2020). Govt allocates Tk 63m more, rice for the vulnerable during virus shutdown. https://bdnews24.com/economy/2020/05/01/govt-allocates-tk-63m-more-rice-for-the-vulnerable-during-virus-shutdown
Béné C, Godfrey Wood R, Newsham A, Davies M (2012) Resilience: new utopia or new tyranny? Reflection about the potentials and limits of the concept of resilience in relation to vulnerability reduction programmes. IDS Working Pap 2012:1–61. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2040-0209.2012.00405.x
Berkes F, Jolly D (2002) Adapting to climate change: social-ecological resilience in a canadian western arctic community. Conserv Ecol. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-00342-050218
Bhuiyan AKMI, Sakib N, Pakpour AH, Griffiths MD, Mamun MA (2021) COVID-19-related suicides in Bangladesh due to lockdown and economic factors: case study evidence from media reports. Int J Ment Heal Addict 19(6):2110–2115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00307-y
Blanchard W (2005) Select emergency management – related terms and definitions. Vulnerability Assessment Techniques and Applications (VATA) Coastal Services Centre, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Braam DH, Srinivasan S, Church L, Sheikh Z, Jephcott FL, Bukachi S (2021) Lockdowns, lives and livelihoods: the impact of COVID-19 and public health responses to conflict affected populations - a remote qualitative study in Baidoa and Mogadishu, Somalia. Confl Health 15:47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-021-00382-5
Byron RK, Habib WB (2021). Left out in their hour of need. The daily star. https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/left-out-their-hour-need-2092181
Cardona HS, Lemos M, Little C, Lotsch A, Weber E (2012) Climate change: New dimensions in disaster risk, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience. In: Field CB, Barros V, Stocker TF, Dahe Q, Docken DJ, Ebi K, Mastrandrea MD, Mach K, Plattner GK, Allen SK, Tignor M (eds) Managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Silver C (2009) Review: qualitative research design for software users, by Silvana di Gregorio and Judith Davidson. McGraw Hill, Open University Press, Maidenhead, UK, 272 pp; Field Methods, 21(4):416–418. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X09343382
Dhaka Tribune (2020b) Govt struggles to rein in aid thieves. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/227388/govt-struggles-to-rein-in-aid-thieves
Dhaka Tribune (2020a) Coronavirus: The agony of Dhaka’s rickshaw pullers. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/205598/coronavirus-the-agony-of-dhaka%E2%80%99s-rickshaw-pullers
Dhaka Tribune (2020c) WFP pilot program helps urban poor in Dhaka. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/223810/wfp-pilot-program-helps-urban-poor-in-dhaka
Gandasari D, Dwidienawati D (2020) Content analysis of social and economic issues in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Heliyon 6(11):e05599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05599
Gautam S, Setu S, Khan MGQ, Khan MdB (2022) Analysis of the health, economic and environmental impacts of COVID-19: the Bangladesh perspective. Geosystems Geoenvironment 1(1):100011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geogeo.2021.100011
Global Development Institute (2020) Understanding the impacts of Covid-19 on livelihoods in Bangladesh: findings from the PPRC-BIGD rapid response survey. Global development institute blog. https://blog.gdi.manchester.ac.uk/understanding-the-impacts-of-covid-19-on-livelihoods-in-bangladesh/
Habib S (2020) Hotel-restaurants closed due to Corona, workers-cooks are in dire straits. Jugantor. https://www.jugantor.com/todays-paper/city/307091/%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9F-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A7-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%81-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%A0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE
Hall DM, Steiner R (2020) Policy content analysis: qualitative method for analyzing sub-national insect pollinator legislation. MethodsX 7:100787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2020.100787
Heltberg R, Siegel BP, Jorgensen LS (2010) Social policies for adaptation to climate change. In: Mearns R, Norton A (eds) Social dimensions of climate change. World Bank, Washington, D.C.
Hossain MZ (2014) Pro-poor urban adaptation to climate change in Bangladesh: a study of urban extreme poverty, vulnerability and asset adaption [Thesis, Heriot-Watt University]. https://www.ros.hw.ac.uk/handle/10399/2779
Hossain E (2020) Urban poor starve as food aid suspended. New Age. https://www.newagebd.net/article/112359/urban-poor-starve-as-food-aid-suspended
Hsieh H-F, Shannon SE (2005) Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qual Health Res 15(9):1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Islam J (2020) Hawkers, street vendors struggle for survival. Daily-sun. https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/476904
Islam M, Mostafa S (2021) Co** Strategies of Low-Income Households in Bangladesh During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Bangladesh Stud 23:56
Jahan N (2020a) Pandemic fallout: slip** into period poverty. The daily star. https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/pandemic-fallout-slip**-period-poverty-1916497
Kalerkantho (2020) The helpless middle class is also receiving humanitarian aid. https://www.kalerkantho.com/print-edition/news/2020/04/03/894093
Khan SS, Khan SA (2021) Addressing COVID-19’s uneven impacts on vulnerable populations in Bangladesh: the case for shock-responsive social protection. UNDP. https://www.undp.org/library/dfs-addressing-covid-19s-uneven-impacts-vulnerable-populations-bangladesh-case-shock-responsive
Lenzen M, Li M, Malik A, Pomponi F, Sun Y-Y, Wiedmann T, Faturay F, Fry J, Gallego B, Geschke A, Gómez-Paredes J, Kanemoto K, Kenway S, Nansai K, Prokopenko M, Wakiyama T, Wang Y, Yousefzadeh M (2020) Global socio-economic losses and environmental gains from the coronavirus pandemic. PLoS ONE 15(7):e0235654. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235654
Mahmud N (2020) Survey: income drops for underprivileged amid pandemic. Dhaka Tribune. https://archive.dhakatribune.com/business/economy/2020/08/18/survey-income-drops-for-underprivileged-in-bangladesh-amid-pandemic
Mamun FA (2020) Street children at high risk of corona. Daily-sun. https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/498422
Mittal N, Steinert JI, Vollmer S (2023) COVID-19 pandemic losses of livelihoods and uneven recovery in Pune India. Humanit Soc Sci Commun. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02343-0
Mollah S, Adhikary TS (2020) Fallout from Covid-19: loan sharks feast on slum dwellers. The daily star. https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/fallout-covid-19-loan-sharks-feast-slum-dwellers-1920625
Nur J (2022) Female informal workers in Dhaka during COVID-19. Urbanet. https://www.urbanet.info/dhaka-female-informal-workers-during-covid-19/
Parul SI (2020) There is no one to hear the cries of the maids. Samakal. https://samakal.com/todays-print-edition/tp-khobor/article/200436300/%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%89-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%87
Parvez S (2020). The poor looking down the barrel. The daily star. https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/the-poor-looking-down-the-barrel-1889122
Paul A, Nath TK, Mahanta J, Sultana NN, Kayes ASMI, Noon SJ, Jabed MdA, Podder S, Paul S (2021) Psychological and Livelihood Impacts of COVID-19 on Bangladeshi lower income people. Asia Pac J Publ Health 33(1):100–108. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539520977304
Prothom Alo (2020) Hundreds of Narail teachers going without pay for five months. https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/hundreds-of-narail-teachers-going-without-pay-for-five-months
Rahaman KR, Mallick B, Priodarshini R, Shakil WI, Hossain MdZ (2022) COVID-19 burdens on livelihood opportunities: a study of easy-bike drivers in Rangpur City. Bangladesh World 3(3):389–402. https://doi.org/10.3390/world3030021
Rahman HZ, Das N, Matin I, Wazed MA, Ahmed S, Jahan N, Zillur U (2020) Livelihoods, co** and support during COVID-19 crisis. BRAC institute of governance and development. https://bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications/livelihoods-co**-and-support-during-covid-19-crisis-report/
Rahman M, Sajib EH, Chowdhury I, Banik A, Bhattacharya R, Ahmed H (2021) Present scenario of COVID-19 in Bangladesh and government preparedness for facing challenges. J Adv Biotechnol Exp Therapeutics 4(2):187–199. https://doi.org/10.5455/jabet.2021.d119
Rahman A, Jahan N, Matin I, Rahman HZ (2022) Bangladesh and Covid-19: reversals and resilience. IDS Bull. https://doi.org/10.19088/1968-2022.125
Rahn PH (1996) Engineering geology: an environmental approach (2nd ed). PTR prentice hall. http://books.google.com/books?id=HNlRAAAAMAAJ
Reza S (2020) What option do you have when you’re hungry? Prothomalo. https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/what-option-do-you-have-when-youre-hungry
Rimon SR (2020) The stove is not burning in the Bihari camp. Bangladesh Pratidin. https://www.bd-pratidin.com/last-page/2020/04/08/518750
Rouhi M, Stirling C, Crisp EP (2021) The ‘fallacy of normalcy’: a content analysis of women’s online post-childbirth health-related support. Women and Birth 34(3):e262–e270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2020.04.007
Roy SD (2020) 1,500 trainee artisans await promised govt grant. The daily star. https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/1500-trainee-artisans-await-promised-govt-grant-1949829
Roy RK (2020). Corona cripples street vendors. Daily Sun. https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/492926/Corona-cripplesstreet-vendors-sun
Ruszczyk HA, Rahman MF, Bracken LJ, Sudha S (2021) Contextualizing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on food security in two small cities in Bangladesh. Environ Urban 33(1):239–254. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247820965156
Schlamovitz JL, Becker P (2021) Differentiated vulnerabilities and capacities for adaptation to water shortage in Gaborone, Botswana. Int J Water Resour Dev 37(2):278–299
Shammi M, Bodrud-Doza Md, Towfiqul Islam ARMd, Rahman MdM (2020) COVID-19 pandemic, socioeconomic crisis and human stress in resource-limited settings: a case from Bangladesh. Heliyon 6(5):e04063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04063
Shammi M, Bodrud-Doza M, Islam AR, Rahman MM (2021) Strategic assessment of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: comparative lockdown scenario analysis, public perception, and management for sustainability. Environ Dev Sustain 23(4):6148–6191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00867-y
The Daily Star (2020) Urban poor hit by outbreak: Tk 2k to each of 50 lakh families. https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/urban-poor-hit-outbreak-1898437
The Financial Express (2020) Social safety net programmes: maximum fund goes to non-poor, study shows. https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/bangladesh/social-safety-net-programmes-maximum-fund-goes-to-non-poor-study-shows-1600313758
Word Food Programme (2023) WFP Bangladesh: urban food assistance programme. https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/wfp-bangladesh-urban-food-assistance-programme
Wratten E (1995) Conceptualizing urban poverty. Environ Urban 7(1):11–36
Yezli S, Khan A (2020) COVID-19 social distancing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: bold measures in the face of political, economic, social and religious challenges. Travel Med Infect Dis 37:101692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101692
Funding
The article was a part of research funded by the Research and Innovation of Khulna University, Bangladesh. Unfortunately, there is no funding available for article processing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. The funders had no involvement in the study's design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation, article preparation, or decision to publish the results.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Himel, T.I., Naz, S., Hossain, M.Z. et al. COVID-19 impact on urban low-income individuals in Bangladesh: a qualitative content analysis. J. Soc. Econ. Dev. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40847-024-00342-8
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40847-024-00342-8