Street begging is a serious social problem throughout Bangladesh and the rest of the world, operated by poverty and economic deprivation. The vulnerable population of children and the elderly face extremely bad living conditions and social stigma publicly; hence, comprehensive solutions that address the root causes and provide for rehabilitation are needed.
A Street Beggar Paragraph
Street begging is a pervasive issue affecting urban areas globally, including Bangladesh. In cities like Dhaka, the number of beggars has reached alarming levels, with estimates suggesting around 700,000 beggars nationwide. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this situation, pushing many families into poverty and forcing children to beg for survival. Reports indicate that approximately 34% of families suffering significant income loss during the pandemic resorted to sending their children to beg on the streets.
Many of the street beggars have often been stigmatized and forced into very harsh living conditions; most of them come from marginalized groups such as the elderly, disabled, and children. To most of them, streets become a home amidst the risk of violence, exploitation, and health problems. The government has initiated some rehabilitation programs for the beggars, though often with an outcome that is far from satisfactory.
Existing laws to protect vulnerable populations remain weak in enforcement. The inability to have comprehensive policies that look into the very causes of begging, such as poverty and unemployment, continues to perpetuate the cycle. Only with a multi-dimensional approach, wherein social welfare programs, public awareness campaigns, and community support systems aimed at helping beggars get back into mainstream society can be effective in addressing street begging.
A Street Beggar Paragraph for HSC
Street begging is one of the critical social problems prevailing in most urban centers around the world, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. The number of beggars on the streets in Dhaka is estimated to be about 40,000 at any one time. The crisis has been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has allegedly forced about eight million children into begging due to economic hard times experienced by their parents.
Many of the street beggars are children and other vulnerable people who have been pushed to the margin of society, including kids under the age of 12, mostly exploited by adults to make money. A survey taken during the pandemic found that a high percentage of child beggars are below the age of 12. The streets become their only means of survival as families struggle with job losses and increased living costs.
The living conditions of street beggars are very poor. They usually sleep in open places and without food or basic health care. They also face social stigma and discrimination from passers-by. Various government programs have been initiated toward the rehabilitation of beggars, but mostly with meager funding and a lack of good implementation. Some of the programs would offer temporary shelter, and some even had vocational training, although by and large, the core issues of poverty and illiteracy remained mainly unaddressed.
A holistic approach towards street begging requires action on the social safety nets of poor families, improvement in access to education for children, and employment opportunities for adults. That will be the only way in which society can try to prevent people from falling into the need to beg as a means of survival.
A Street Beggar Paragraph 300 words
Street begging is one of the major social problems in most urban cities around the world, and this problem has seriously affected Bangladesh. There are about 700,000 beggars all over the country, and at any point in time, about 40,000 are found in Dhaka. This condition has further deteriorated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as economic recessions have forcefully compelled innumerable families to plunge into poverty and hence begging as a survival strategy is on the rise.
Among the victims are children and the elderly, who are most vulnerable. Indeed, it was reported that due to the pandemic, an estimated eight million children had been forced into begging because of economic challenges facing their families. Most of them end up being exploited by adults who use them to solicit sympathy from passersby to make money. This not only robs them of their childhood but also exposes them to different forms of abuse and neglect.
The living conditions for street beggars are usually very harsh and inhumane. They have to face daily necessities such as hunger, bad weather conditions, and lack of access to health services. Moreover, the attitude of society towards beggars could be stigmatizing in nature, where many people look upon them with disdain rather than compassion. This social exclusion continues to perpetuate their marginalization, hence their integration into society.
While there are government initiatives aimed at rehabilitating beggars through shelters and vocational training programs, these efforts frequently fall short due to inadequate funding and poor implementation. An effective campaign against street begging can only succeed if it is all-inclusive, covering issues of poverty and lack of education as its root causes.
Community engagement is important in creating understanding and garnering support for such people. Public awareness campaigns, therefore, change the perception of street beggars from being a nuisance to viewing them as human beings who need help. One way that society might reduce the incidence of street begging is through the promotion of inclusive policies that create social safety nets and educational opportunities for vulnerable populations.
A Street Beggar Composition
Street begging has been a chronic problem that, in many respects, reflects broader socio-economic issues facing many urban centers across the world. Street begging in Bangladesh has recently become more visible, especially in cities like Dhaka, because the levels of poverty have increased following the economic shocks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. A current estimate puts at 700,000 the number of beggars all over Bangladesh; a good number among them are children, forced onto the streets due to the economic conditions of their families.
The demographics of street beggars reveal a disturbing truth: among them, one finds a lot of marginalized people, including the elderly, women, and children. Child beggars are among the most disturbing faces of this issue; reports indicate that many are being exploited by adults who use them as tools to solicit alms from unsuspecting passersby. Such exploitation robs these children of their childhood and exposes them to possible abuse and neglect.
A street beggar’s living conditions could sometimes be very deplorable. Because of the weather, they have no appropriate shelter and no means to supply themselves with food or health services. Besides, the general attitude of society toward a beggar is stigmatizing. Most people look down on them rather than showing sympathy or concern. Such stigma further marginalizes these people and makes their rehabilitation even more difficult. Indeed, there are government programs to address the problem of street begging, but most are either underfunded or ill-administered. In some instances, such programs provide temporary shelters or even job-training opportunities for adults looking for alternatives to begging. But they generally do not get at the core of poverty and homelessness.
An effective approach to combating street begging would ensure reinforcement in the safety nets of the poor, increasing access to education for children at risk of entering the ranks of beggars and ensuring gainful employment of adults. This needs to be combined with increased community engagement using public awareness campaigns, which change not only the general perception of the street beggar but also the understanding of such persons as human beings in need of support. It would be so, if society cultivates an enabling environment where the vulnerable population is supported, rather than judged, hence working towards a reduction in the prevalence of street begging while promoting dignity and respect for all people regardless of their circumstances.