A tale of two cities: The rich and poor of Dhaka

As we have reached 2024, I ask myself, what will change for me this year? Resolutions, careers, hope - I have plenty to plan. At the same time, I think about a parallel world where I am living a marginalised life in this magical city. I remember the electrocution of five human lives due to a live wire on 22 September. The viral video of a man pulling out a baby's stiff electrocuted dead body still haunts me. I can not help but question if 2024 will be any different for them.

A dated 2016 statistic shows that more than 30 million people are marginalised in this country and the number has only risen from there. Most people migrate to Dhaka, the city of opportunities, searching for a better life. They work day and night but life stays the same - with poor infrastructure, unmet basic needs and an ever-increasing cost of living. 

I see this as a bubble of inequality. This stark contrast lies at the heart of Dhaka's timeless class stratification. We, the fortunate few, float inside the privileged bubble where we get access to all the basic needs, private tutors, job opportunities, etc, while the other bubble keeps the marginalised trapped. And the saddest part of this harsh truth is that the bubble will never pop. 

Through my recent research project, I visited the slum area of Korail which represents the opposite picture of its neighbouring Gulshan. Two worlds separated by a lake, yet intertwined by an invisible line that mocks the city's inequality problem. Two sides of a road, drawing a strong line that abstractly blocks out the real picture of Dhaka. This is a sad truth that I can neither unsee nor refuse even if I want to. But, where does it end?

For the urban poor in Korail, "home" is a shack in a crowded slum, with a leaky tin roof which boils during 40-degree summers, a shared toilet with no hygiene, and little to no privacy. In contrast, I see there are architecturally beautiful apartments with amenities like swimming pools and gyms just opposite the road in Gulshan. 

Daily meals for the first group might be uncertain every day, and this is increasing due to the continuing price hikes. Many days are spent in hunger. Meanwhile, fancy dinners are never too expensive for people in the privileged bubble. If I talk about basic healthcare, while most of us have access to the formal healthcare sectors, slum areas rely on the informal sector, NGOs and government service providers because healthcare is no longer cheap. 

However, marginalised people are often exploited by providers due to their lack of knowledge and awareness, to maximise profit. But the biggest disparity comes in education and career opportunities, which has been increasing concerningly. I see young people with the same calibre, dreams and goals that privileged ones lack. They lack high-quality education, access to extracurricular activities, financial support, mentorship and guidance simply due to the circumstances of the bubble they were born in. 

While in the privileged bubble, children grow up in an environment steeped in success and ambition that influences their aspirations. They witness their parents navigate professional landscapes, develop an early understanding of career options, and internalise a culture of achievement. This is why we don't see entrepreneurs from marginalised backgrounds succeed that often. They try to meet society's cultural goals without having the means to achieve them. As a result, they can rarely pass the margin of their marginalisation. 

When asked about their hope for a better life, they simply prefer to reply with a sigh. Good education, a driven career, fast promotions - society does not shy away from putting mainstream cultural expectations on them despite keeping away all necessary means to achieve these. As a result of this "strain," as Robert K. Merton states in his strain theory, marginalised people struggle with an identity crisis throughout their lives. 
 
I keep asking the same question with no answer, what makes them leave their original homes and stay in the marginalised bubble created by a city full of inequality? Cash jobs? Concrete roads? Mobile network? Condensed milk tea? It baffles me as I find no logical explanation for their willingness to bear these sufferings - the "perks" of being poor.
 
There are people who entertain this unjust discrimination because it benefits them, keeping their power bubbles secure for now. While I understand that hope for a better future is enough to make them compromise and sacrifice their present, I can only wonder when this future will come. And when will they rebel against this systematic deprivation?

Era Robbani is a Research Associate at the Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University. She is a graduate of Criminology at the University of Dhaka. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.