Poverty behind 38% street children in the country: BBS survey
The survey was conducted in 10 urban areas across the country among a sample of 7,200 street children aged between 5-17 years
Poverty and hunger are the main factors that have led 38% of the street children of the country to leave their families and live on the streets, according to the Survey of Street Children 2022 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The survey revealed that the second most common reason for the street children (15%) is parents moving to urban areas for a lack of earning opportunities. Additionally, over one in ten street children (12%) left home in search of work.
The survey was conducted by the BBS in 10 urban areas across the country, including Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation, Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barishal, Mymensingh, and Sylhet, among a sample of 7,200 street children aged 5-17 years.
The survey results were published on Monday.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
BBS officials said that the survey did not reveal the total number of street children in the country as it requires a complete census.
Meanwhile, at the launching event of the survey report, both Planning Minister MA Mannan and State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam emphasised the need for a comprehensive census to determine the exact number of street children in the country.
The report indicates that the highest concentration of street children was found in the Dhaka South City Corporation at 22.7%, followed by 18.3% in the Dhaka North City Corporation. The third highest proportion of street children, 17.5%, was found in the Chattogram City Corporation area.
Approximately 82% of street children are male, while 18% are female. Among them, 54% are aged 10-14 years.
The survey respondents also included children with disabilities (5%). These children came from diverse backgrounds, and almost three quarters (71%) reported having both parents alive.
According to the survey, the highest proportion of street children (20.4%) came from the Chattogram division, while the lowest proportion (4.9%) were found in the districts of the Sylhet division.
The survey included questions about the districts from which street children originated. The results showed that Mymensingh has the highest number of street children, accounting for 6.9% of the total. This was followed by Barishal, Bhola, Cumilla, Kishoreganj, and Cox's Bazar respectively.
Schooling, livelihood and environment
Around 64% of these children enrolled in school at some point in their life and slightly more than a third (36%) of the children never enrolled in any formal or informal school.
The survey found that children living on the streets are involved in a wide range of activities, including menial jobs some of which are inappropriate for their age.
Ninety-one percent of children living in street situations are currently engaged in work, with no significant gender gap.
The survey found that approximately 20% of street children are involved in waste collection, while 18% rely on begging or assisting in begging. Additionally, over one in ten (15%) work in shops, restaurants, and tea stalls.
During the three months prior to the survey, more than half (53%) of street children reported falling ill.
The most common illnesses were fever (17%), cough (41%), headache (23%), and waterborne diseases (19%). Of those who fell sick, 80% sought medical attention, with 63% receiving services from pharmacy shops and 23% from government hospitals.
Thirty-one percent of children reported to have been victims of injuries at workplace, of which most are small wounds and cuts (67%). Half of the children living in street situations surveyed reported being victims of some sort of violence at workplace.
Experience and coping strategy
Children living in street situations are also vulnerable to abuse and harassment. According to the survey, 63% of street children have witnessed or heard about another child being abused or harassed on the streets. The majority of children reported witnessing rebuke or scolding (93%) and physical abuse (84%).
Pedestrians are cited as the major perpetrators by majority (83%) of these children, followed by transport workers (39%) and other children living in the same situation (36%).
The survey found that 25% of respondents reported experiencing abuse from members of law enforcement agencies, including beatings, demands for compensation, confiscation of belongings, and incrimination with false charges.
It also revealed that children living in street situations are developing dangerous, addictive habits at an early age.
Roughly 24% of the respondents said that they smoke, 12% reported that they are using drugs.
About two-thirds (72%) of them mentioned family life is far better than street life.
More than 70 % of these children wanted to change their current lifestyle for a better life in the future.
However, the majority (84.5%) of them have not heard of rehabilitation centres and around 72% of those who know about the existence of rehabilitation centres are not willing to go there.
At the event, Planning Minister MA Mannan noted that a similar survey had been conducted in 2002-03 FY, and emphasised that street children are a manifestation of poverty. He further stated that conducting regular surveys of this kind is essential.
State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam said that although it may be costly and time-consuming, it is essential to determine the accurate number of street children through a census.
