The government recently took approval of the parliament on an anti-begging law with the commitment to uproot the phenomenon of begging in the city streets within five years. The law says anyone who asks for charity in public, or displays handicaps or mutilations in order to obtain money, will be punished with three months in prison.

The authorities have also taken a project to rehabilitate the beggars providing them with training, motivation so that they can sustain by other professions. But, the practical implementation of the law seems to be very far away due to the prevailing socio-economic condition, which is yet to be addressed with pragmatic steps. The beggars in the city are not ready to abide by the law and while talking to this correspondent many of them vowed to continue with their profession as they have been doing it over the ages facing harassments by police. The beggars are eager to receive assistance and training from the government but they do not believe that they would be able to earn more in future than they do now by begging.

The authorities are saying that if the beggars do not stop begging despite training and motivation, the government will earmark certain places in the capital for beggars to stop the roaming about everywhere. The beggars strongly objected to this idea also, as they think that it would not be possible for them to survive by begging if they are not allowed to roam about in the city. "People will not come to us with their charity spontaneously. We will have to go to them and beg," Mofida who begs on the Bijoy Soroni as the red light stops hundreds of vehicles.

However, director of the government's rehabilitation project Gazi Mohammad Nurul Kabir is optimistic of bringing a change in the scenario. Nurul Kabir, who is also the President of the National Foundation for Disabled, said that the beggars need some motivation side by side training for their alternative profession. "We will not do it forcibly. Rather, we will do some motivational work. We will also launch public awareness campaign against begging," he said. Some beggars said that they were ready to go to village if they were given home to reside in and lands to cultivate. Many of the beggars are compelled to pray for charity while some of them are habituated with it.

Amina Begum who begs charity at Kakrail said, "I had worked as a maid in a house. But they hated me as I am a leprosy patient. They did not allow me to touch their household utensils. Ultimately I had to leave the job and start begging." An inquiry revealed that the problem of begging is more deep-rooted than it had been anticipated. "You can give food, shelter and medicine to a physically disabled beggar confining her/him into shelter house. But s/he will not be satisfied with it as many physically crippled beggars have wives and children to support. To rehabilitate a beggar one needs to rehabilitate a family," said a sociologist. Moreover a vicious cycle is involved behind them who are earning money by engaging the helpless beggars.

Teenager Abdul Alim begs outside the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel and pleads to passers-by, "Give me some coins. I am hungry. God will bless you." Alim said his daily income often totals Tk 50 (about $1), but he keeps little of his earnings for himself. "I have no family but someone helps me come here every day, another brings me food and the other allows me to sleep in a shed -- all for money," he said, adding he would not reveal the identities of the people. "They will kill me if I disclose their identities," he said. According to United Nations estimates, about 40 per cent of ovr 150 million inhabitants live below the poverty level. In the capital alone, the number of beggars is estimated to be between 27,000 and 100,000. The numbers are going up every day with more homeless, jobless people flooding into the city, officials of the city corporation said.

-New Nation