Seven-year-old Shahadat, while begging for money behind the Gulistan traffic police box under the Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover a couple of days before Eid-ul-Fitr, said the madrasa he studied at was closed, which is why he had come to Dhaka with his mother from Netrokona.
He told Dhaka Tribune that his mother had promised to buy him a new panjabi, shoes and a watch for Eid if he could give her Tk500 each day.
That, he said, was the reason he was sitting there begging.
His elder brother, nine-year-old Kaiyum, sat beside him, counting the money.
Speaking with them revealed that they had arrived in Dhaka with their mother, Roksana Akter, for begging during the Eid holidays.
They planned to return to Netrokona on Saturday.
Kaiyum said: "People hand out zakat, fitra and gifts (begging money) during Eid. That is why Mother brings us to Dhaka around this time. If we make money here, we can eat a bit better for the next three or four months."
When asked if they liked staying in such dirty, smelly surroundings, Kaiyum gave a smile and said there was no other way.
“It is bad: too much dust, lots of noise. I cannot sleep properly at night. But what else can I do? Father does not care for us. An uncle said he will give me a job when I get a bit older. So for now, we just have to suffer for a few more years."
Sitting a short distance away was their mother, Roksana Akter. Alongside her, on a dusty, filthy piece of cloth, sat her other two children – one-and-a-half-year-old Tajil and five-year-old Fatema.
Passersby occasionally handed the children Tk10, Tk20 or even Tk50 upon seeing them.
When asked how justifiable it was to keep children in such unhealthy conditions for begging, Roksana said: "My husband married someone else, leaving me with four children. I have no place at my father’s house either; he is gone, and my mother and brothers have their own families. Who will take care of me and my children?
“That is why, on my sister’s advice, I came to Dhaka. If I can make a little money, I can at least manage to celebrate Eid with my children. How long can we survive on neighbours’ pity?"
This is not limited to just under Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover. Similar scenes can be found near Gulistan Sports Market, Golap Shah Mazar, Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, TSC, High Court premises, Shahbagh, Karwan Bazar, Dhanmondi, Bijoy Sarani, Agargaon and many other areas of Dhaka.
Child begging spikes significantly during Eid.
Children, ranging from infants just six weeks old to those with disabilities, are frequently used as the main instruments of begging, manipulating public sympathy through their vulnerability.
Investigations reveal that most of the children used in begging are “rented.” Some are paid by the hour, others by the day.
Outside Suhrawardy Udyan, 16-year-old Sultana was found begging with a one-and-a-half-month-old girl.
Sultana claimed the baby was hers, but Morshed, another beggar sitting next to her, said the child’s mother worked in a garment factory and left her there.
“It is income from both sides, you know. People give more when there is a baby involved, especially around Eid. Old people and those with babies in arms are in high demand. It pulls at the public’s emotions," he explained.
Enforcement of law and rehabilitation
According to the Children’s Act, 2013, any person who uses a child for begging, makes a child beg or as a guardian allows a child to be used for begging, commits a punishable offence.
The penalty can be up to five years in prison, a fine of up to Tk1 lakh or both.
Despite strict laws, a lack of enforcement allows such exploitation of children in plain sight.
Afzal Kabir Khan, manager at Educo Bangladesh, an organization working for children’s rights, told Dhaka Tribune: "Following child labour, the use of children in begging is extremely alarming. While there is no official count, children begging on Dhaka's streets are a common sight.”
Poverty was often blamed, but it was also heavily influenced by family and environment, he added.
“Many families do not prioritize education and instead see children as income sources. Due to a lack of awareness, children get involved in begging and may later fall into criminal activities," Afzal said.
He stressed that strong enforcement of existing laws was crucial. "There are laws to protect children, but implementation is missing. That is why the use of children in begging continues.”
Mohammad Shahjahan, deputy director of the Department of Social Services, said: "We conduct mobile courts from time to time to make Dhaka beggar-free. Those we arrest are taken to rehabilitation centres, but most of them get bail within 15–20 days, making rehabilitation difficult.”
“We cannot rehabilitate child beggars because rules prevent us from enrolling anyone under 18 in rehabilitation or training programs. This is why the syndicates are now using children. The stronger the earnings in an area, the stronger the syndicates there,” he added.
“The Eid holidays have increased their numbers. We have managed to clear VIP areas like Uttara, Gulshan and Banani. After the holidays, mobile courts will resume in other areas too."
When asked about the budget for beggar rehabilitation, he said: "As much as we would like to, we cannot rehabilitate all beggars. Our budget is limited and most of the 1,700 centres meant for this purpose are unusable. Only Tk3 crore is distributed among 64 districts, including Dhaka, for beggar rehabilitation, which is extremely insufficient."
