Location: Shakchor Union, Lakshmipur District, Bangladesh
Date: 26 August 2025
Organization: ALO (Animation Liberate for Organize)
Report By: Kazi Altaf Mahmood
Executive Summary
This report examines the hardships faced by Tohura’s family in Shakchor union, Laxmipur district, as highlighted in episode 25 of ALO’s “People’s Voice” series hosted by Mahbubur Rashid. Drawing from an on-site interview, it details their reliance on a single rickshaw-pulling income amid health constraints, flooding vulnerabilities, and lacks in housing, water, sanitation, and education. Contextualized within Laxmipur’s coastal risks and Bangladesh’s broader poverty surge to 27.93 percent in 2025, the analysis identifies gaps and proposes targeted aid: a resilient home, deep tube well, and toilet, costing approximately 403,703 BDT. Recommendations emphasize NGO partnerships and government alignment with SDGs, aiming to foster resilience in erosion-prone rural areas. Despite extensive searches, no specific online resources directly referencing this family or episode were found, suggesting limited digital footprint for local stories; general statistics provide the contextual backbone.
1. Family Challenges & Needs
Tohura’s household of seven—herself, her husband with health limitations, son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren—grapples with acute financial strain in Shakchor union. The son’s rickshaw work provides the sole income, insufficient for basics amid rising costs. Key issues include an unstable tin shack prone to monsoon inundation, absence of a kitchen leading to hazardous cooking, no private bathroom forcing unsanitary practices, and contaminated water sources without a deep tube well. Education for grandchildren is unattainable due to fees, books, and tutoring expenses, perpetuating intergenerational poverty. These needs mirror wider rural struggles in Laxmipur, where river erosion displaces families and floods disrupt livelihoods.
1.2 Methodology for Data Collection (Interview)
Data stemmed from a direct, in-person interview led by Mahbubur Rashid in the Shakchor union. Tohura responded to open-ended queries on family structure, earnings, obstacles, and desired supports, with responses noted verbatim for authenticity. The session incorporated cultural courtesies like Islamic greetings and lasted under 5 minutes to minimize burden. Observational elements captured the site’s flood-prone yard and shack conditions. This qualitative method prioritized personal narratives, avoiding surveys to focus on depth, while ensuring verbal consent and privacy.
2. Regional and National History of the Issue and Need
Bangladesh’s poverty and environmental vulnerabilities trace to colonial land disparities, post-1971 population growth, and climate-intensified disasters. River erosion and flooding have displaced communities since the 1970s, with economic reforms in the 1990s failing to equitably address rural gaps.
2.1 Regional Context
Laxmipur, in Chittagong division, endures severe coastal threats from the Meghna River, with 2025 floods stranding over 600,000 residents across 40+ villages. Riverbank erosion affects thousands yearly, eroding 88 square kilometers of land annually in similar estuaries, displacing homes and farms. Poverty in Chittagong stands at 15.2 percent, below national levels but concentrated in rural unions like Shakchor, where informal jobs like rickshaw pulling dominate. Education dropouts rise during disasters, with schools closing for weeks, exacerbating the division’s 32 percent secondary dropout rate.
2.2 National Context
Poverty has rebounded to 27.93 percent in 2025 from 18.7 percent in 2022, with extreme poverty at 9.3 percent, driven by economic slowdowns and inflation. Rural areas face 20 percent poverty versus 16.5 percent urban, with 30 percent below $3.65 PPP daily. WASH access lags: 59 percent have safely managed water, 60.7 percent basic sanitation, and 56.3 percent hygiene facilities, costing 18 percent of GDP in health burdens. Floods displace 200,000 annually from erosion, while education dropouts hit 9.36 percent in 2023, surging to 32-36 percent at secondary levels due to costs and disruptions. Coastal districts like Laxmipur have amplified these trends since the 1980s.
2.3 Alignment of Needs
The family’s requests for a home, tube well, bathroom, and kitchen align with SDG 6 (WASH), SDG 11 (resilient housing), and SDG 4 (education). These tackle national gaps where 40 percent lack safe water and 70 percent improved toilets, while supporting poverty goals amid 2025’s rise. In Laxmipur, they counter the 2025 flood impacts on sanitation and address education barriers tied to a 9 percent dropout.
3. Methodology
Primary data came from the interview, bolstered by secondary sources like World Bank reports and recent surveys on poverty, WASH, and floods. Queries targeted “poverty Bangladesh 2025” and “flooding Laxmipur 2025” for current data. Thematic analysis coded challenges, validating with 2024-2025 sources. Limitations include no direct family online traces, relying on transcripts, and potential bias in self-reported needs. Additional web and X searches for specific family details yielded no results, indicating the story’s local scope.
4. Needs Assessment Findings
The seven-member family survives on erratic rickshaw earnings, with Tohura’s husband unable to work due to illness. Flooding inundates their shack and yard yearly, while education costs bar grandchildren from school, aligning with national trends.
4.2 Existing Resources and Gaps
Resources are scant: a flood-vulnerable tin shack, son’s income, and village proximity for minimal aid. Gaps include no tube well (contaminated water), no bathroom (health risks), no kitchen (safety hazards), and unaffordable education amid 32 percent secondary dropouts. WASH deficits match 40 percent lacking safe water; housing fails against floods affecting 550,000 in Laxmipur. No noted government support isolates them further.
5. Logical Framework Approach (LFA)
| Component | Description | Indicators | Means of Verification | Assumptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Boost family resilience via better housing, WASH, and education. | Lower poverty risk; enhanced health/education. | Surveys; records. | No major floods; economic stability. |
| Objectives | 1. Build flood-proof home/facilities. 2. Secure water/sanitation. 3. Fund education. | Home/tube well/toilet ready; enrollment up. | Inspections; certificates. | Funding secured; local buy-in. |
| Outputs | Facilities are functional; kids in school. | Materials, labor; 403,703 BDT funds. | Photos/logs. | Local materials available. |
| Activities | 1. Construct with tin/brick/metal. 2. Install WASH units. 3. Enroll and supply children. | 3-6 month timeline. | Reports/receipts. | Labor/permits obtained. |
| Inputs | Materials, labor: 403,703 BDT funds. | Budget monitored. | Audits. | Rate: 117.5 BDT/USD. |
6. Recommendations
Fund immediate builds: a 350,000 BDT house for coastal durability, an 18,225 BDT tube well, and a 35,478 BDT toilet. Subsidize education to combat dropouts. Partner with NGOs like ALO for implementation and advocate erosion controls via government schemes. Follow up quarterly to evaluate, expanding to similar Laxmipur families.
7. Resource Requirements
Based on market rates: One toilet: 35,478 BDT ($302 USD at 117.5 BDT/USD). One deep tube well: 18,225 BDT ($155 USD). House: 350,000 BDT ($2,979 USD) for a two-bedroom tin-brick-metal structure suited to coastal conditions. Total: 403,703 BDT ($3,436 USD). Costs assume local sourcing; add 10 percent for labor/transport.
8. Conclusion
Tohura’s story underscores urgent rural needs in Laxmipur amid national poverty and climate pressures. Targeted interventions can break hardship cycles, aligning with SDGs for sustainable progress. Prompt action via donors and authorities is essential to uplift this family and others.
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