Chalantika Stories

Bellal

Do you know Arabic? I don’t and neither does Bellal — except that his name means “refreshing.” He has two sisters – Jasmin (14) and Selina (6). Their father died two years ago. Bellal’s mummy worked in a textile factory before she became pregnant and needed to stay home. Now only his older sister Jasmin works in the factory. Full story...

Sajib

Sajib is an ordinary, nice, and cheerful boy from Bangladesh, who had not attended school up to the age of 10. He lives in Chalantika – in one of the poor boroughs in the capital Dhaka, in a shelter made of bamboo and metal plate. His father left the family some time ago, and Sajib was left alone with his mom and two younger siblings. The family was not able to earn their living anymore Full story...

Bonna

Bonna’s childhood is miles apart from the childhood that most children in our country experience. Her parents sold her shortly after her birth. Many parents in Bangladesh are so poor that they aren’t able to look after their newborn baby, and so they sell it, hoping that it will be better off elsewhere. Bangladeshi girls are often sold for a particular sum for work or prostitution, or they are married to those who are willing to pay. Full story... 

Ismail

Bangladeshi children living in slums often miss out on their childhood as they follow duties set up by adults from an early age. No matter what conditions the children grow up in, they still have their dreams. One of them is Ismail. Full story...

Nur

The childhood of now sever-year old Nur had been far from the ordinary childhood of the majority of Czech children. His family had lived in poor conditions in Bangladeshi metropolis Dhaka. The situation worsened further when his father brought in his new wife and he stopped looking after Nur and his mother Maina. Full story...