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Introduction
Bangladesh is a small and developing country. Many people of this country are
very poor. They do a lot of struggle for their surviving. And in my Seminar on
Grassroots Economic Development course I have to complete a term paper about
poor peoples lifestyle. As my course requirement I have select a slum at Rairbazar
Thana Mohammadpur. And I have made this report on a slum living family by
taking interview.
Objectives
My purpose to make this paper:

To know how slum people lead their life

Trying to view their struggle life with numerous challenges

Understand the economic growth of the poor people

Methodology
For the case study I have used questionnaire interview method. The questionnaire
has been provided by our course instructor. At first I went to the slum and then
randomly select a family and asked them some questions. I also spent some time
with them. I have asked them some formal questions from my course instructors
questions. And I also talk with them for gather more information about them.
Findings
a) General Background of the family:
The name of the women whose interview I have been taken is Shirin Begum. She
is around 35 years old. Her husbands name is Jamal Uddin he is 45 years old.
Nine years ago they come to Dhaka city from Kishorganj district with their
children. In Kishorgonj she was a housewife and her husband was a farmer. By
farming Jamal earned TK7, 000 in a month. They come to Dhaka in search of
work. Because on that time the flood destroys Jamal Uddins farming land. After
this incidence they take some loan from their relative and neighbour. And the
loans amount was TK100, 000. After coming Dhaka Jamal Uddin and Shirin
Begum start doing labor work. After doing hard work they return their loan. It took

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two year for returning the loan. They have Three Children. Two daughter daughter
named Nazma (18) and Sufia (15) & one son named Sharif (10).

Shirin Begum(35)
Educational Background of the family:

Shirin Begum never went to school. Jamal Uddin continued his school till class
ten.Their daughter Nazma went to school till class seven. Sufia continue her
schooling till class five. They could not complete their study for poverty. But they
understand the value of study. So they decided that they will try to complete
Sharifs study at any cost. Now sharif read in class two. Shirin begum said to me
that now I have realized that only our sons study will improve our situation so I
will try to educate my son.
b) Income sources and total earning of the family:
Total member of the family is five. From them four persons are earning. But the
amount of the income is very low. Jamal Uddin is a labor he cut soil. His income is
not fixed. His work is contract based. Like today he has work so he is earning but
there is no guarantee that he will have work tomorrow also. But still his monthly
estimated income is TK3, 500.Shirin Begum is also a labor her situation is same to
her husband. Her monthly estimated income is also TK3500. Her elder daughter
Nazma is a made servant. She goes to her work at 8am and come at 7.30 pm.
Sometimes she has to work 8 pm to 8.30 pm for emergency. She gets holyday on

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Monday. Sometime she has to on her work on holyday also. But she does not get
any extra money for her extra work. And her monthly income is only TK1500.
Sufia is also a made servant like her sister. She works in a house. She gets TK1300
in a month. Nazma and Sufia said that we work hard but we do not get our fair
respect and salary. Their total income is TK9800. In asset they have only a black
and white television and a mobile. They said sometime government people or some
NGOs come and give commitment to help them but they do not get help from
them.
c) Total expenses
Their income is low but they had to expense comparatively more. For food they
had to pay at least TK6000. They have no own house so they had to pay their
house rent, electricity, water, gas and other bill here they pay TK3000. They have
one school going son. He read in a free school so they do not have any school fee
but their son have a private teacher he take TK300 and in his book, khata and other
educational things they pay TK300. So in education this family pays TK600. Now
they have no loan. They have no sick member in their family. So they dont have
regular health expense. So we can see that their total monthly expense is TK9600.
But in some month they have to spend extra money for accident or guest. They said
that at the end of the month in some month they see they had a little money in their
hand. But in the most time they do not have any extra money in their hand.
d)

Social issues

Their daughter works in rich peoples house. They have some rich relative. They
think if they face problem then their rich relative will help them. There are some
relative who are more poor then them. So sometime they had to help them. They
do not face any problem in this slum.
e)

General comment on the findings

The family passes their life in struggle. Always they had to sacrifice one thing for
another. They live five people in a room. But their economic growth is good
because Shirin Begum could not work outside in her village. But now she can do
work outside with her husband and can earn more money which improve their
standard of living. In Dhaka their daughters are also earning. And now they are self

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sufficient although they do not earn a lot but compare with past now they are
happy with their life. They do not depend on others. Now they become census
about education so they are trying to educate their son.
Conclusion:
Although this family lived in a slum, but their perception of their living life are
more favorable. There have no way to return their home district, also in their living
cost are high as well as their income.
So, research their livelihood easily anyone can understand whites main concerning
problem of their financial as well as their social category of Developing country
like Bangladesh.