This is a topic that has no end. My father often says that people become rich by stepping on the shoulders of the poor. When I was a child I did not understand the depth of the words but as I grew up I saw the reality around me and I think this is the most cruel truth of our society. I think that the policies that are made keeping in mind the benefits of the powerful in mind and their burden falls on the shoulders of the common people especially those who earn their living from day to day this system is unfair from the beginning.
After a few days we see garment workers taking to the streets demanding their salaries. For those who do not know this let me tell you that the average monthly salary of a garment worker is only 8,000 taka. With this money they have to run their family take care of everything, including rent, food, and medical care. Now think about how a family will survive if this small salary is withheld for 5-6 months? The child's school fees, market expenses, everything then becomes a nightmare.
But the owner this withheld salary is an opportunity. If the salaries of hundreds or thousands of workers can be withheld for a few months and invested elsewhere they can make more profit with that money. And the workers are forced to work because they are afraid of starving to death if they quit their jobs. Standing at this point the calculation is very scary. The profit of the owner is almost 200% without the investment of the worker.
This picture is not only in the garment sector or in the field of work but also in the medical field. Even in many parts of the country the daily wage of workers is still only 180 taka. It is surprising to think that even in 2025, a person will work for 8 hours and get this money. The government changes policies change, big developments are talked about, but there is no change in the lives of the workers. This is where the link between the government, rich people and policies becomes clear. Policies are made in such a way that the rich can get richer and the poor just continue to struggle to survive. Movements make headlines for a few days, and then everything is back to normal. Partial salaries are paid, the rest of the money is withheld again.
These realities are not just something to read in the newspapers, they are happening all around us every day. We may not be the direct victims, but we all live within this system. So, my father's words seem even more true today. In this society, the path to becoming rich is often paved by stepping on the shoulders of the poor.