People living mostly in slums of major cities in the country are deprived of the government's fundamental services like healthcare and education, a study has revealed.
Absence of policy support and limited state facilities to those poor segments of urban people are keeping their livelihoods as vulnerable as ever, the study has added.
The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) of the University of Sussex, BRAC University and ActionAid Bangladesh jointly conducted the study, which was unveiled at a city hotel Sunday.
The study noted that informal settlement produces inferior health and education outcomes for their inhabitants due to limited public services, substandard housing, environmental fragility and unsanitary conditions.
The survey that included 709 male and 755 female respondents from seven informal settlements of Dhaka, Chittagong and Bogra cities revealed that the government's poverty strategy was heavily focused on rural people.
Most of the respondents of the research have demanded measures for ensuring painless access to drinking water, enclosed toilets, dwelling, education and medical services.
Average monthly income of a dweller is around Tk 1000. Only one per cent of the dwellers are working as the class four government employees.
According to the study, drinking water supplies are problematic in the both settlements of the port city, where mainly dockyards' day labourers and their families reside.
Majority of the dwellers have to buy drinking water while almost 96 per cent of them collect water from distant points of their residences.
In most cases, the people living in formal settlements and engaged in informal work do not have access to the basic services from the government agencies. Only two settlements, out of seven, have primary schools nearby their localities.
The study recommended making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and resilient for the people. It also stressed on ensuring basic services to the people living in formal settlement, so that they can enhance their capability and enter the formal economy.
The research also suggested proper recognition of the informal work from the government by ensuring their fundamental services to them.
Former adviser to the caretaker government also Treasurer of the ActionAid International Bangladesh M Hafiz Uddin Khan, who chaired the programme, said unfortunately no city plan of the government includes development of the urban poor communities.
ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir, IDS fellow Dr Dolf te Lintelo, Dhaka University Professor Dr Ferdous Jahan, Honorary Treasurer of Centre for Urban Studies Dr Salma A Shafi, among others, spoke at the report unveiling event.
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City slum people lack access to main govt facilities: Study
FE Report | Published: March 23, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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