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Nari Jibon's team of bloggers take us on a tour of Dhaka's slums, describing how it is that Bangladeshis live in some of the very poorest parts of the capital city. Because the sub-titles pass by so quickly, I will transcribe them here.

Dhaka, as the capital of Bangladesh, has grown into a busy city of about 11 million people and covers about 816 square kilometers. The climate is tropical as in the rest of Bangladesh; for most of the year it is warm with bright sunshine. Many of them come to Dhaka for finding jobs and to make some kind of livelihood. This is an area beside the Malimagh railway line where a slum village has been built by squatters. Most of the houses are made of bamboo lattice screen and tin roofs on a dirt floor. This is the only well to cover water for more than 100 families. All the people in this area use this well for bathing, drinking, and other activities.

The environment of a slum is very dirty. Water is dirty there and sanitation practices are unhealthy.

- What is your name?
– Mazed Mymensing
– Why did you come to Dhaka?
– I came to Dhaka due to poverty.
– What is your profession now?

Many people are living here. Of them, many men are working in shops, some are rickshaw pullers, some are day laborers, some are hawkers, etc. Women are also working outside to earn money for their family. Some women are domestic workers, some are day laborers, hawkers, street cake sellers, etc. Many of them beg for a living or for extra money.

- Where do you live?
– In the slum.
– Where is your home district?
– Khulna. I am a shopkeeper.

Most of the people of the slum are illiterate. Most of the children do not go to school. The children are playing [during the day] as they do not go to school. Slum people suffer from hunger, malnutrition, and different kinds of diseases.

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