In a country where dreams often rise from the most unexpected corners, countless numbers of children find themselves held back not by a lack of talent or ambition but by bureaucratic red tape and systemic neglect.
For many street children in Bangladesh, the absence of something as seemingly simple as a birth certificate is more than an administrative inconvenience; it is a barrier to opportunity, identity and basic human rights.
Whether it is access to education, healthcare, legal protection or national-level sports, the lack of legal recognition renders these children virtually invisible.
Across Bangladesh, millions of street children grow up without the documentation needed to participate in society.
Their realities are often shaped by factors that complicate their ability to prove who they are and where they come from.
Without birth certificates, they are shut out of schools, denied passports and left without a national ID, making long-term development nearly impossible.
These barriers are especially disheartening when the children show extraordinary potential, only to see it fade because the system was never designed to accommodate them.
Milon's dreams shattered
Fifteen-year-old Milon grew up on the sidewalks of Dhaka’s Gulistan. But his magical footwork on the football field has earned him the nickname "Neymar of Gulistan."
Despite his talent, Milon’s dreams of playing football at the national level remain uncertain due to complications around obtaining a birth certificate, as he has no permanent address.
Most of his days are spent on the football field inside the National Stadium, where Dhaka Tribune had the opportunity to speak with him during practice.
Milon participated in the National and International Sports Day 2025 football tournament organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports on April 6 through the Bangladesh Street Children Sports Academy.
His performance on the field was commendable, further strengthening his dream of playing at the national level.
But to compete nationally, a birth certificate is required, without which he cannot play either within the country or abroad.
“The first time I wore a jersey and boots and stepped onto the field, I felt like I was taking a step toward fulfilling my dreams. I have loved football since I was around five or six years old. Neymar from Brazil and our own Jamal Bhuiyan and Hamza Choudhury have always been my idols,” Milon told this correspondent.
“Like them, I dream of playing in major international arenas one day. I want the world to know me not as a street child but as a footballer. That is my dream.”
'Is it my fault I have no permanent address?'
With frustration in his voice, Milon added: “I have big dreams, but I do not have a permanent address. Is that my fault? Because of this, I cannot get a birth certificate. I have tried so many places, but nothing worked.
“Without a birth certificate, those of us living on the streets cannot play at the national level or abroad. No birth certificate means no national ID, no passport.”
Last year, he tried to get registered, but the authorities asked for his parents’ birth certificates.
However, neither of his parents has one.
Although they currently live in a rented house in Abdullahpur, they have no permanent address.
So he gave up this year. “Let us see how far I can go without it.”
Many such cases
Sources at the Bangladesh Street Children Sports Academy report that Milon is not alone—20 out of the 28 children at the academy do not have birth certificates.
Despite their football skills, they are ineligible to compete nationally because of this barrier.
Ehsanul Kabir, the academy’s technical adviser, told Dhaka Tribune: “Our academy started operations in November 2023, inspired by the passion of boys like Milon and Akash for football. The academy’s journey began with the help of its founder, Shakir Mati. Initially, our main struggle was finding a field. When parks in Dhaka were closed to the public, we faced a serious shortage.
“Having resolved that issue, we now face a new challenge—getting these street children registered. Of the 28 children in our academy, we have not been able to register 20 of them. Last year, one child could not go abroad for a tournament because of this problem.”
He continued: “We worked with several child rights and street child organizations and filed a petition in the High Court. The court stated that OCs could act as guardians for street children during the birth registration process.
“But when we went to register children last year, the system had not been updated accordingly, and they still asked for the parents’ birth certificates. These complications made registration impossible.”
'It breaks our heart'
Academy coach Jahangir said that when he joined as a coach, he was amazed by the talent of kids like Milon.
“If nurtured properly, they could go far. But since our academy is non-profit, we have severe financial limitations. When we manage to groom players and then cannot send them to play nationally due to the lack of birth certificates, it is heartbreaking.”
Call to simplify birth registration for street children
A joint research report, “Street Children in Bangladesh 2024,” conducted under the "Child Sensitive Social Protection in Bangladesh Phase-2" project by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Unicef, revealed that there are over 3.4 million street children in the country, most of them without guardians.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Survey on Street Children 2022 shows nearly half (48.5%) of these children live in Dhaka division, with 22.7% in Dhaka south and 18.3% in Dhaka north.
Ehsanul Kabir said: “We have approached the Ministry of Youth and Sports, district administrations, registrar offices, and city corporations many times, but no solution has come.”
Forhad Hossain, chairman of Leedo (Local Education and Economic Development Organization), echoed these concerns, saying: “We face similar problems when trying to send street children abroad for international tournaments. Most of these children are either guardianless or have no permanent address.
“Their parents also lack ID documents, making it impossible to register them. This affects their school admissions and other services too.”
He mentioned that in 2018, they petitioned the High Court to resolve the guardianship issue for such children.
The Registrar’s Office promised easier procedures if organizations applied on behalf of street children, but that promise was never fulfilled, Forhad said.
The problem of permanent address and parental documentation remains unresolved.
Forhad emphasized the need for government attention to solve this issue, saying: “Every child has the right to citizenship by birth.”
Government response awaited
On June 12, 2022, a petition was filed in the High Court demanding the birth registration of 1.6 million street children nationwide, including 200,000 in Dhaka.
The petition was filed by Barrister Tapas Kanti Baul on behalf of the organization Sports for Hope and Independence.
The High Court on June 30 that year directed the government to submit a report on the steps taken to issue birth certificates to all street children across the country in three months.
The government’s response is still awaited on this matter.
