The girls cook for themselves, do the dishes, clean their rooms and wash their clothes.

From dawn to ask, they are made to do the chores while those who are paid by the government to do these often do not even care to come to work.

This is how the girls of Barisal Shishu Poribar, a government-run orphanage, live their everyday life.

They are not spared of these even on the Eid days.

"We will help our seniors in cooking by cutting vegetables and chopping meats," said Sumaiya when asked how she'd spend the Eid day, likely to be observed tomorrow or on Saturday.

"We will sweep the floors, clean the orphanage premises and rooms and prepare food like we do every day," said the nine-year-old, who had come there a year ago.

While saying this, she was wearing a smile on her face as if all these were very usual for her.

Then there was Falguni, also 9. She was happy that the Eid was just around the corner.

"They usually give us plain rice, lentil, fish curry and, sometimes, vegetables around the year … But on the Eid day, we get pilau, beef gravy and vermicelli dishes," said Falguni, beaming with joy. She had been at the orphanage since both her parents died two years ago.

"But who will prepare all these?" asked this correspondent.

Falguni went silent. Her smile disappeared.

"We will," she murmured.

Though the orphanage has a designated cook, it's the children who are made to do the cooking, said advocate Munira Begum, divisional secretary of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, while visiting the orphanage on Wednesday.

She found three of the 15 orphanage staff absent on the day.

Sometimes, the girls are forced to work at the residences of orphanage officials and staff, Munira said.

The orphanage has 100 girls and about 60 of them are aged between 8 and 12.

Sumaiya, 18, is the eldest of the orphans there. She was worried about six fellow orphans who had chickenpox.

"The Eid won't be joyful without them," she said.

According to Munira Begum, the six girls were quarantined but were not receiving any treatment, an allegation rejected by orphanage-in-charge Ismat Ara Khanam.

Ismat allegedly condoned the merciless beating of two minor girls by a health assistant named Md Dulal on July 4. A video of the cruelty was posted online, sparking widespread outrage on the social media. Dulal, now absconding, has been suspended and a probe body formed following this.