by Maksuda Lisa, Dhaka Bureau
Kulsum Bibi is 71 years old. She has grey hair and wears a yellow printed sari. She sells eggs sitting on a low wooden stool on a footpath beside a busy road in Dhaka. In front of her are two baskets—one containing local duck eggs and the other containing local chicken eggs.
Amid the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on the busy road, she runs her own business for several hours every day. When customers come, she tells them the price of the eggs, arranges the eggs, takes the money and returns the change.
Kulsum Bibi says that her husband died many years ago. She has one son. Her son brings the eggs, and she sells them sitting on the footpath.
She says she comes there with eggs every day. A hali of chicken eggs costs Tk 70 and a hali of duck eggs costs Tk 80. One hali consists of four eggs. She also says that she sells around 20 halis of eggs every day.
During the conversation, a woman returning from the office came to buy eggs from her. After the price was agreed, Kulsum Bibi packed the eggs. When the customer gave her a Tk 200 note, she returned the change. She completed the entire transaction herself.
Kulsum Bibi says she sells eggs there from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
When asked whether she faces any problems or safety concerns while working beside the busy road for so many hours, she says, “No.”
When asked why she works even at the age of 71, she replies, “I work for myself, to support myself.”
Speaking about her own work, she also says, “I do my own work. There is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Women in Informal Employment
Kulsum Bibi’s experience is an individual example of women’s informal employment in Bangladesh. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Labour Force Survey 2024, the labour force participation rate among women was 38.4 percent in 2024. The same survey said that 95.96 percent of employed women were engaged in informal employment.
These statistics provide a broader context of women’s participation in the labour market in Bangladesh. However, Kulsum Bibi’s experience does not represent all older women or all women working in the informal sector. It is the specific experience of a 71-year-old woman regarding her own work and livelihood.
The five photographs capture different moments of Kulsum Bibi’s work—her place beside the busy road, her conversation with a customer, packing eggs, handling money and her presence while working.
