Fifteen-year-old Aleya (pseudonym), who lives on the streets of Dhaka, recently visited Dhaka Medical College Hospital after suffering from itching in her genital area.
The irritation developed into small bumps and later painful sores. She had delayed seeking treatment because she had no money.
“The doctor told me it happened because I had been using dirty clothes during my periods for a long time,” Aleya told Dhaka Tribune.
She admitted that she knew about sanitary pads and the importance of clean cloth but could not afford them.
“An elder once advised me to use pads,” she said. “But we don’t even have enough money for food. What can I do? This is how I manage.”
Every month, she relies on discarded pieces of cloth.
Sumi (pseudonym), another street child, was seen collecting rags from a pile of dirty cloth near a dustbin.
She said that sometimes she wraps used sanitary pads with cloth and reuses them.
“My genital area often itches and my body feels uncomfortable, but I have no other option,” she recounted.
At Kamalapur Railway Station, 16-year-old Ruku (pseudonym) was found sifting through piles of dirty cloth.
She said she has been managing her periods this way since menstruation began two years ago.
“If I cannot find new clothes, I wash the old ones at night and dry them to use again,” she explained. Because she has so few pieces, she often has to use the same cloth all day.
“Sometimes my trousers even get soaked,” she said.
Doly (pseudonym), another street child, described her own struggles.
She fears that blood will stain her clothes and that boys around her will mock her. Sometimes she avoids eating for long hours, believing it might reduce bleeding.
Once, she suffered from severe abdominal pain but could not afford medicine. Other street girls comforted her and gave her old clothes to wear.
“I live in a makeshift shelter in Suhrawardy Udyan,” she said. “My mother tells me to use cloth scraps and dry them for reuse. However, if I earn enough by selling flowers, I sometimes buy a sanitary pad from the TSC bathroom for Tk10. But one pad does not last long. Pads are a luxury for me.”
Another young girl recalled her first menstruation.
“One day, a lot of blood came, and I got scared. A woman told me to use a cloth. Since then, I wash any clothes I find on the street and use them. Sometimes I tear old sarees, dresses, or dupattas and use those pieces too,” she said.
She added that she could only rinse the cloth once or twice due to a lack of water. After washing, she usually kept the piece inside a plastic bag for later use.
Sabina, a 15-year-old flower seller near the Central Shaheed Minar, lives in Jinjira and started menstruating two years ago.
At first, she used old cloth, but later, on her elder sister’s advice, she began using sanitary napkins.
Her mother, however, still manages her periods with cloth.
“Pads are expensive,” Sabina said. “When I earn more money from selling flowers, I buy pads. But when I can’t afford them, I have to use cloth again.”
Dhaka Tribune spoke to at least 15 street girls who said they rely on dirty clothes during their periods and suffer from a range of health problems as a result.
A widespread problem
According to a Unicef study in 2024, more than 3.4 million children in Bangladesh live on the streets without parental care.
A 2022 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) survey of 7,200 street children aged 5–17 across the country’s eight divisions found that 18% were girls.
Meanwhile, 2024 data from research organization Kantar shows that only 17.4% of women and adolescent girls in Bangladesh use sanitary pads, while the vast majority—82.6%—still do not.
For street girls, the reality is even more dire.
For many, menstruation is not just a natural process but a daily struggle to maintain dignity, hygiene, and comfort.
Health risks
“Using cloth instead of sanitary pads, especially dirty or reused cloth, can lead to severe infections,” said Dr Rahima Sultana, Gynaecology & Obstetrics specialist at Dhaka Medical College.
“These infections can affect the uterus and cause constant lower abdominal pain, fevers, even cancer, and general weakness. If left untreated, they may even impact a girl’s ability to have children in the future.”
She added: “Street girls lack water, soap, and safe spaces during periods, making it a daily struggle for health. Along with health risks, they face stigma, stress, and shame, with little support.”
Dr Sultana urged well-off and socially conscious individuals to arrange for the free distribution of sanitary napkins to street children.
“We need to emphasize the importance of cleanliness and provide them with hygiene kits as well. Everyone should come together to raise awareness about health among them,” she said.
Dr Rafia Rahman, assistant professor in the Department of Health Economics at Dhaka University, echoed the concern.
“These girls are simply fighting to survive,” she said. “It is considered normal for them to be unable to afford sanitary pads, while at the same time they are deprived of essential health knowledge and access to basic hygiene facilities.”
Govt and NGO response
Md Saidur Rahman Khan, director general of the Department of Social Services, said: “We have already sent various grants to the field level, and several organizations are working on this issue regularly.”
Saraowat Mehzabeen, senior assistant secretary of the Child Protection Wing at the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, added: “There are plans to provide free sanitary napkins to street girls and women. With the joint efforts of the government and different NGOs, this plan will be implemented soon.”
Some groups, including Bidyanondo Foundation, Reborn Foundation, Give Bangladesh, and Ek Ronga Ek Ghuri, have distributed free sanitary pads to street adolescents.
However, most initiatives remain short-term and focus mainly on basic needs.
Experts stress that with menstrual health often overlooked due to financial constraints, sustained support from government, NGOs, and international partners is crucial.
