Less for more: Living in slum (video)

Can you guess how much a slum dweller pays for a 10-feet by 10-feet tin shed room with no ready amenities? It is not cheap. It is at least Tk 2000.

“We have to pay Tk 2,000 for a tiny room. It is very difficult to keep any furniture after setting up a semi-double bed,” said a female dweller of the Bhashantek slum requesting not to be named.

A mother of a primary school-going student said she had to spend 8,000 in addition for other utility services including electricity, utility service and child’s education fees.

"I live along with my husband and three children. We have to pay Tk 1,000 more for each of the other services though water, electricity and sanitation are hard to come by," Morzina (name changed for security) told The Daily Star while visiting the slum.

"Our children are growing up in a disgusting and dirty environment," she said adding that it was her best choice given that they have nowhere else to go.

The land of Bhasantek slum belongs to the government, but local influential quarters have taken hold of it and collect the rent by the start of every month, other dwellers said.

Plowing through this slum, The Daily Star found out that mismanagement of drainage and sanitation systems promote different types of diseases like, diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia and dengue fever in this slum.

Around 18 to 20 thousand of people from different ages are living in the slum but there is no government or NGO operated hospital or clinic, entertainment centre and playground in the slum, said Jorina who is also a leader at the slum unit of the Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction.

“We cook our food in clay oven. We are cautious about fire hazard. Any fire from the oven can engulf the entire slum within a moment but there is no fire service in the slum area,” he added.

Slum people are commonly known as poor, taking this advantage, some non-government organisations like Shakti, Manobik and others are providing high interest loan among the slum dwellers.