Published on 12:00 AM, September 14, 2014

Rehabilitate city beggars

Rehabilitate city beggars

The other day I got into a tempo which was going to Gulshan-1 from Mohammadpur. When we reached Mohakhali, a minor boy approached the passengers of our tempo; he was naked. Maybe he was naked with the intention of getting sympathy from the public. A woman from our tempo gave him some money. He then left and got into another vehicle for begging. In a one-hour journey by a public vehicle in Dhaka, one would have to face at least 10 to 20 beggars at different traffic signals and bus stops.
Beggars are a big problem in the cities. And the number of beggars is increasing ominously. The syndicates of beggars are using novel techniques to make people give money. Children are being used in large numbers in this despicable profession. Some syndicates steal children and impair or deform their limbs for begging purpose. The government should take measures to rehabilitate the beggars so they can have a better life and the city dwellers can get some relief from their onslaught.