Outdoor workers in Dhaka are facing severe heat exposure, declining earnings, and systemic protection gaps as Bangladesh debates a just transition for its informal workforce, according to recent field reports and scientific studies. Millions of street vendors, construction workers, rickshaw pullers, and digital delivery riders navigate rising temperatures daily, forcing a constant calculation between health and basic survival.
Extreme Heat Transforms Dhaka Streets Into Dangerous Workplaces
Rising temperatures in Dhaka are driven not just by global climate shifts, but also by rapid urbanization, disappearing wetlands, and expanding concrete surfaces that trap heat. According to data from icddr,b, roughly 120,000 residents across 32,000 households in selected slum areas of Dhaka and Gazipur endure severe heat stress, frequently living in poorly ventilated tin-roofed homes. For the city’s informal laborers, the entire urban landscape serves as an exposed office.
Abdul Karim, a 50-year-old rickshaw puller, spends more than 10 hours a day navigating congested roads under intense sunlight. As noted in his interview, the physical toll is compounding over time. “Even after a short period of cycling, I feel a burning sensation throughout my body. As the days go by, the suffering keeps increasing. I have grown old, you see. I can no longer endure the heat,” Karim said. Yet stopping is impossible because halting work means earning nothing.
Scientific research underscores this physical strain. A study titled Forecasting Occupational Survivability of Rickshaw Pullers in a Changing Climate with Wearable Data utilized wearable technology to monitor the body temperature, heart rate, and sweat responses of 100 rickshaw pullers. Conducted by researchers from institutions including the University of California San Diego, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Cornell University, the study documented how extreme heat directly degrades workers’ physical capacity and earning potential. Abdus Salam, another Dhaka rickshaw puller, reported that intense heatwaves reduce passenger volume and shorten his shifts, dragging his daily income down from roughly Tk1,200 to Tk700-800.
Platform Economy Workers Face Heightened Vulnerability
Bangladesh’s expanding digital economy, which now encompasses more than 1 million gig workers such as ride-sharing drivers and food delivery riders, has introduced new layers of workplace stress. Sazzad, a Foodpanda delivery rider in Dhaka, stated that digital platforms frequently compel workers to complete deliveries through severe weather events like heatwaves and waterlogging, ignoring personal emergencies. “We earn our living by working; we do not steal. There can always be important matters in my personal life. But their position is that the food must be delivered on that very day,” Sazzad said, comparing the relentless platform pressure to historical indigo cultivation under British colonial rule. Foodpanda has not publicly responded to the allegation.
Unlike formal employees, the vast majority of platform and informal workers operate without paid leave, health insurance, accident coverage, or guaranteed income. Dr Mohammad Moniruzzaman Khan, associate professor and director of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies at the University of Dhaka, emphasized the escalating danger. “The city has become unsafe for everyone, but it is even more unsafe for informal workers,” Dr Khan said, calling for urban planning measures that include shaded rest areas and safe drinking water.
Gender Inequalities Compound Climate Risks for Women
Female informal workers experience heightened vulnerabilities as extreme heat intersects with systemic gender inequalities. Khaleda Begum, a 35-year-old female battery-run rickshaw driver in Dhaka’s Mugda-Manda area, carries drinking water during her shifts, but intense sunlight frequently warms the water past the point of consumption. To cope, she spends extra money buying cold beverages while maintaining her hours to fund her son’s education. Beyond heat exposure, women face restricted access to sanitation facilities, secure rest spaces, and relief from disproportionate unpaid care responsibilities during climate shocks.
Did you know? Bangladesh contributes less than 0.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet its outdoor workforce experiences some of the earliest and most severe economic and health impacts of climate change, according to labor advocates.
Policy Reforms and the Path Toward a Just Transition
With roughly 85% of Bangladesh’s workforce engaged in informal employment, labor experts stress that national policies must adapt to protect vulnerable populations. Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed, former chairman of the Labour Reform Commission and executive director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, argued that robust social protection systems, health coverage, and climate-related income support are vital to prevent workers from bearing the full cost of climate disruption.
Bangladesh’s third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) incorporates a dedicated Just Transition chapter for the first time, with a comprehensive national policy and action plan targeted for development by early 2027. Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, underscored the urgency of these reforms. “Climate change is becoming a labour rights, public health and economic justice crisis. Millions of informal workers are facing the harshest impacts of rising heat without adequate protection,” Rahman said.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does extreme heat affect Dhaka’s rickshaw pullers?
Wearable data studies show that extreme heat spikes body temperature and heart rate, limiting physical endurance. Workers are forced to cut short their shifts, directly reducing their daily earnings from around Tk1,200 to Tk700-800.
What protections do gig workers have in Bangladesh?
Most gig workers and platform delivery riders operate without formal protections such as paid leave, health insurance, accident coverage, or guaranteed income, leaving them vulnerable during extreme weather events.
What is Bangladesh doing to address climate impacts on workers?
Bangladesh has included a dedicated Just Transition chapter in its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), and a national Just Transition policy and action plan is expected by early 2027 to address heat protection standards and social safety nets.
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