April 30, 2024
DHAKA – As the scorching summer sun beats down on Korail slum, the tin-shed houses feel like stifling ovens. Inside one such residence we met Asma Akhter. She wiped sweat from her forehead, her clothes all damp.
“It feels like the house is always on fire — just touching the walls burns your hand.”
Entering the kitchen feels like stepping into hell, she said. The heat from the cooking stove coupled with hot air makes it insufferable.
“My whole body feels like it’s burning,” she sighed. The relentless heat had taken its toll — she has been suffering from fever and headache for a week now.
Asma’s story is similar to the plight of countless slum dwellers during this brutal heatwave.
It feels like the house is always on fire — just touching the walls burns your hand. Entering the kitchen feels like stepping into hell. My whole body feels like it’s burning.
— Asma Akhter Resident of Korail slum
Cramped conditions inside the tin-shed homes further exacerbates their misery. Asma, her husband, their two children, and a cousin, all have been sharing a single-room for nearly five years. “There’s barely any space,” she said. “We all have to sleep on one bed, and even the single fan we have fails to cool the entire room. The children sleep closest to it, but none of us get a good night’s rest.”
Fatima Akhter, another Korail resident, echoed her.
“Because of the lack of sleep at night, my husband cannot work properly as a day labourer. After working for 3-4 hours, he gets sick,” she said.
Jamal Hossain, a rickshaw puller, said there is no open space or trees inside the slum to take respite from the scorching heat.
Representatives and government agencies are indifferent towards slum people as they are perceived as temporary settlers. The authorities should work to aid slum dwellers during this heatwave.
— Adil Mohammad Khan President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners
The Daily Star correspondents visited six slums in the capital — Korail, Sattola in Mohakhali, alongside Dhamal Court, Abuler Goli, Benaroshi Polli, and Culvert in Mirpur.
During the visit to the Korail slum, they saw that most people were resting on the streets. Many women who cannot afford to buy water have to walk long distances in search of it.
Slum dwellers claimed they did not receive any assistance from local representatives or government agencies, despite the hot spells this month breaking all previous records.
In Mirpur’s Bhashantek slum area, which includes Benaroshi Polli, Dhamal Court, and Abuler Goli, the situation is also dire.
Rubina Akhter, 60, a domestic worker and resident of Benaroshi Polli slum, said, “In my tin-shed house, I have only a small fan for family members.”
She said her two relatives have left the house amid the heatwave.
“For the last two weeks, there was a 17-hour power outage every day from 6:00am to 11:00pm. I had to spend this time outside,” she said.
House help Morzina Begum, 53, from the same slum, said four out of her three jobs have been terminated as she could not show up regularly due to the heat.
“Due to the heatwave, I became sick, and lost my jobs. I am worried how my family members will survive without an income,” she said.
Meanwhile, in Mirpur’s Abuler Goli Slum, many were taking rest at the nearby graveyard, which has trees and open spaces.
They complained about sluggish fan speeds due to low voltage in the electricity lines.
Saiful Islam, 55, a resident of Abuler Goli Slum, said, “Due to the ongoing heat and load shedding, I am spending nights outside. Yesterday, I stayed here [in the graveyard] till 4:00am to rest.”
Alamin Hossain, 33, a vendor, said he stays awake the whole night and sleeps early in the morning due to excessive heat.
Shamsujjaman Majumder, 51, a resident of Dhamal Court, echoed him.
Adil Mohammad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said tin houses easily become hot as they absorb heat. He emphasised the need for government guidelines on slum housing materials to address this issue.
“Representatives and government agencies are indifferent towards slum people as they are perceived as temporary settlers. The authorities concerned should change this mindset and work to aid slum dwellers during this heatwave,” he added.