Bangladesh, Aug. 7 -- Like many others from his area, Saju Mia - a middle-aged man from Gaibandha's Gobindaganj Upazila - had come to Bogura's Erulia to work as a seasonal labourer during the Aman season.

It is a trip many take every year.

He arrived in Erulia on Thursday night and spent the night in a room, paying Tk 20 for the stay.

A resident of Sapmara Union, Saju sat by the roadside on early Friday morning near Silkibandha of the Bogura-Naogaon Highway, hoping to find work.

Many others sat with him. They gather there to wait for offers and negotiate daily wages before they head off to work in the fields. They typically get around two weeks of work before returning to their villages with their earnings.

Dawn had only just broken...