Asif Saleh

Deadly Covid-19 surges are painful reminders that we cannot let our guard down. If the virus travels into rural South Asia with the same vengeance with which it hit Indian cities,

Ali shares a squatter settlement with five other people. As a rickshaw-puller, his average monthly income is Tk 5,000, which places him just above the national poverty line. The rent costs him Tk 3,000 per month. His utilities cost Tk 550 a month, and this excludes food and other living expenses. Ali faces eviction on a regular basis, a reality for 35 percent of people in Dhaka, who currently live in informal settlements.