A JOINT study carried out by BRAC University’s Institute of Development Studies and ActionAid Bangladesh has revealed the fact that the poor living in the slums of metropolis Dhaka, Chittagong and Bogra (selected as mega, established and emerging cities respectively) pay higher charges for basic utilities like water, electricity and dwelling than the middle class and well-off sections in those cities. The findings showed the contrast of what was naturally expected that the poor slum dwellers in cities should pay less than the well-off people. The fact is that, as the findings showed, the slum dwellers collect these services from local gangsters or powerful operatives who have set up the slums on government lands and also using water, electricity, gas and such utilities from government sources, not paying the government, but the gangsters.
The findings of the study titled ‘Informal Works and Well-being in Urban Areas’ were shared by the researchers at a day long workshop in the city on Sunday. They mainly held responsible the absence of an urban poverty reduction strategy and limited access to government utility services for their substandard living in unsanitary conditions. The report said slum people have no easy access to at least 10 basic services, such as drinking water, sanitary toilets, hygienic dwelling and schooling for children.
The study has in fact made critical reflection on our system of governance in the first place where the wealthy and powerful people dominate the political system and the middle class control the administration. So they get quick and easier access to amenities of life. The poor slum people on the other hand have been widely left out of the state services and thus they have been forced to buy the utility services at higher costs.
Those who are not poor but not powerful politically have also to pay ‘extra’ to get state -provided services. The fact is these gangsters are powerful because they have political protectors. To us it appears some kind of intellectual luxury to study the conditions of slum dwellers when there is mismanagement everywhere and the people as a whole are helpless to high level corruption.
We also know sometimes foreign funds are available to be engaged in this kind of studies expecting no change. Such studies are important and expose before the world how bad is the condition of the slum dwellers.
The question is have we been able to establish an accountable state system to make any difference to the lot of these unlucky ones because of the findings from the study.
There are many NGOs who say they are doing a lot of good work for slum dwellers. There should be a study to show how helpful they have been.
Our intellectuals should realize what they must do to build a just and accountable society. They must start with the government. You cannot expect a just society unless you have an enlightened government anxious to be just and fair.
