The Social Welfare Ministry is seeking permission from the prime minister's office to use mobile courts against beggars in nine selected areas of the capital frequented by foreigners.
The Ministry of Social Welfare says the objective is to improve the country's image.
The ministry seeks to evict beggars from the environs of Dhaka airport, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Hotel Ruposhi Bangla, Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Bailey Road, Gulshan, Banani, the parliament complex and the diplomatic zones of Dhaka city.
“We have sent a letter seeking permission for this. The operation will be started immediately after we receive a nod from the prime minister's office (PMO),” the State Minister for Social Welfare Promod Mankin told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
On July 22 this year, the ministry decided to “recover the image of the country” in areas frequented by foreigners by targeting beggars with mobile courts.
According to the Vagabond Shelterless Person (rehabilitation) Act, 2011 begging is a punishable offence. The minimum punishment for the offence is three years' imprisonment, and the maximum sentence is seven years in jail. Sentences are to be doubled for the repetition of the offence.
Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) has criticised the law saying it had become a “tool” to put the shelterless behind bars. The law brands homeless people as possible criminals. It also gives law enforcers the authority to pick up any person at any time.
Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali told the Dhaka Tribune on July 22 that the ministry had instructed the authorities to take steps against beggars, following an inter-ministerial meeting.
Mohsin Ali said the government's target was “no more begging any more throughout the country.” According to the ministry, at least 20,000 floating beggars operate in the capital city on a regular basis. This number rises to 70,000 during Ramadan and the Eid festivals.
The use of mobile courts for this effort is legal, ministry of social welfare officials said, but the PMO permission was being sought because it is a sensitive issue.
Under the proposed drive, beggars who are willing to go to rehabilitation centres will be provided training and initial start-up money to begin a new life in a trade of their choosing.
Those who refuse to go or return to begging will be charged by the mobile court under the 2011 law.
The ministry is expected to request the city corporations to declare the nine selected areas as beggar-free zones and will limit their drive to these areas.
The government earlier assisted 58 beggars under the rehabilitation programme, providing them with Tk20,000. But each one of them later returned to the capital to beg, Social Welfare Secretary Nasima Begum said in July.
In line with the law, the government also arranged for the accommodation of 1,900 people at state-owned rehabilitation centres for floating beggars. This select group was trained to develop their skills in income-generating activities and were given Tk2,600 per month each.
ASK researcher Nur Khan said his organisation had no objection to the scheme provided the government provided evicted beggars with alternative employment.
Mobile court operations against beggars were slated to begin in August just after Eid-ul-Fitr, but the ministry could not begin the operations without the permission of the PMO.
