There are 27 million small vendors in America who are responsible for the creation of over half of all jobs in the country and which generate 55 percent of the U.S. GDP. Yet, the $2.8 trillion stimulus package did not benefit even 1 percent of small vendors in the United States. Although the stimulus earmarked $35,000 interest free for these entrepreneurs, under the stimulus package, the total allocation has been $225 per business, representing only 0.1 percent of the total stimulus program.

With so many banks being shut down, defaults on mortgages, and real estate sales down, construction work is at a stand still – loans for the construction and the repair of houses are unavailable.

How is the Bangladeshi community doing under the conditions of the present economic crisis? Most Bangladeshi men are doing odd jobs, working in construction, as taxi cab drivers, and salesmen while the women work in chain stores and groceries.

When asked about their work situation, Abul Kashem, a taxi driver, said his income has decreased in the current year. Selim, a well-known community member who works in construction, responded: "Last October, I worked 28 days. This October I worked for 14 days." Abdul Kader, also in construction, has seen his workdays cut from 23 days last October to nine for October this year.

The largest concentration of Bangladeshis in the United States is in New York City and most of those who work in construction are in Brooklyn where construction work seems to be flourishing only in upscale in neighborhoods such as Park Slope in Downtown Brooklyn. In 2008, one could find at least one Bangladeshi worker or contractor on every block of this area. Now they are rarely seen – due to the recession and the city government's crackdown on the construction sector.

In general, small construction companies that are unlicensed are experiencing a 33 percent drop in business. In contrast, registered construction companies are faring better. Licensed contractors who get city, state or federal jobs can find work. Unlicensed contractors do not get work.

"There is some risk in taking on odd jobs, but, even so, homeowners do not have the money to pay in cash, so they are not having any work done on their houses. Homeowners cannot get loans so they are unable to hire help to do necessary repairs," explained Motaher Hossen, another construction worker, adding that finding construction work to prepare properties for sale is even more difficult. The seller makes minimum improvements and tries to make a profit in the sale price, and new buyers are doing a lot of the work on their own, he says, and the sale of newly constructed houses is almost unheard of, he said.

Close to 50 percent of the Bangladeshis in construction now lead subsistence lives.

The poor economic state of the community can be seen clearly if one looks at the restaurants and groceries in Brooklyn and the Bronx owned by Bangladeshi – some cannot even pay their employees after paying electric and water bills. Subsequently, many groceries have reduced their number of employees. At restaurants, two people will often share one cup of tea.

Nurmohammad, a handyman who has run his small business without insurance or a license for many years, is aware that it is dangerous to work this way with ever-present City Inspectors issuing tickets every chance they get. "If I get any job, I do it very carefully," he states.

Mostafa, who has lived in America for 25 years, expressed his disappointment, "Poverty has been a problem since Reagan's presidency. He managed the recession by taking out loans. People who spoke foreign languages did not know what the recession was until it became serious during George H. W. Bush's presidency. But with President Clinton, he said that the ship of recession sank to the bottom of the sea and would never come back. During the W. Bush administration, which paled when compared to the successes of Clinton, the recession spread throughout the world due to an illogical war. Under this situation, Obama took power. The people of the Bangladeshi community could not believe that the ship of recession in America really sank to the bottom of the sea. If it could reach the bottom, then it will find a way to resurface. But thousands of Bangladeshis have already sent their wives, parents and children to Bangladesh. Many Bangladeshis have had to rent rooms in their own houses to survive. In the last 50 years, no community in America has had to go to such length in order to pay rent and buy the commodities necessary for their survival."