This document presents a research proposal that aims to identify the causes of drug addiction among street children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The proposal outlines the background of the problem, objectives to investigate the prevalence and socioeconomic factors related to drug use among this population. It will employ a survey methodology, collecting data from 300 street children across 3 locations in Dhaka using snowball sampling. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS. The study aims to understand the root causes and recommend prevention strategies to address the issue.

2. A Research Proposal
on
“The causes of drug addiction
among street children in
Dhaka city”

3. Presented By
Sazzadul Karim (01)
Md Amir Hossain (12)
Md. Mostofa Morshed (17)
Md. Ali Ajam (22)
K.M. Mehedi Hasan (50)

4. Content
 Introduction
 Significance
 Aims & Objectives
 Literature review
 Methodology
 Analysis of data
 Ethical consideration
 Time frame
 Budget
 Limitations
 Anticipated result
 Reference

5. Abstract
Drug abuse among street children in Bangladesh is highly
increasing day by day. This study will be conducted to
identify the causes of this alarming tendency. Our
research will be based on a survey and the respondent
(i.e. street children) will be selected using snowball
technique from some selected spots in Dhaka city. This
study will help us to know the present scenario of drug
addiction among street children in Dhaka city and
suggest the way to eliminate this dangerous situation.

6. Introduction:
Developing country, Bangladesh besets with a thousand
of problems. Drug is one of the acute problems of
them. Drug abuse directly influences the economic and
social aspects of a country. Though the young people
are mostly addicted to drug, but it is very alarming
that recently the children (i.e. street children) are also
committing to drug. The street children are mostly
addicted to drugs due to various reasons. We are
anxious about this problem. If this problem cannot be
removed, our society will be dropped to the edge of
destruction. In this study we will identify the causes of
drug addiction among street children in Bangladesh.

7. Significance:
Today thousands of people specially the street
children across Bangladesh are taking drugs on large
scale which could sends shivers down the veins of the
society. So, in near future, Bangladesh will face a
catastrophe if the alarming drug abuse is not effectively
checked through extensive motivation and prevention.
But there is no fruitful work has been done on this
problem in Bangladesh. It is very essential to find out
the root causes of this problem to uproot it.

8. Aims & Objectives:
The main aim of our study is “to identify why the
street children are addicting to drug?”
And other objectives are:
•To know the present status of drug abuse by street
children in Bangladesh.
•To identify their socio-economic condition.
•To investigate strategies for the prevention of drug
abuse among street children in Dhaka city.
•To recommend how the problem can be uprooted?

9. Literature review:
For conducting this study we have reviewed a number of
relevant literatures to get clear idea on this topic. We have
studied different literatures from online journals, thesis
papers, articles and other relevant literatures through
internet. By reviewing these we find that the prevalence of
street children has been escalating in most of the
developing world mostly in Bangladesh. As Narayan Sharma
and Suresh Joshi (2013) have said -“The problems of street
children are more significant in the developing than
developed world and it was estimated that more than 100
million children live and work on the streets in the
developing countries.”

10. There are various reasons for being street children i.e.
poverty, over population, illiteracy etc. In this
• context Narayan Sharma and Suresh Joshi (2013) have said
- “It was found that most of the street children were from
joint families and higher percentage of street children had
illiterate parents.” Most of the cases the street children are
addicted to drugs for different causes.
• Vivek Benegal, Kul Bhushan, Shekhar Seshadri and Mani
Karott (1998) have said - “Much of the drug use is not
mindless nor necessarily pathological. Relief of boredom or
hunger or depression and frustration, wanting to feel
good, to keep awake or get to sleep or to dream may be
some of the functions served by drug use.”

11. Methodology:
• Study location:
Shahbagh, High Court premises,
Kamlapur railway stations, Syedabad, Karwan
bazar, Gabtoli, Khilgaon, Mohakhaly, Gulshan,
Gulistan, and Sadarghat Launch Terminal- three
will be randomly selected spots with high
concentration of street children from each
location.

12. • Sampling & Sample size:
Before the main survey, a quick field visit to
the selected study areas will give an idea about
the concentration of street-dwelling children and
their characteristics. This also will help to
determine the way for approaching the ultimate
study samples. Five enumerators, who will brief
about the study and visit the specified areas from
mid-day to mid-night to do a head count and
prepare a map with spots indicating different
concentrations of street-dwelling children.

13. From each spot, around 100 respondents will
be drawn through repeated visits within one
week. The children who sleep in the same
spot for the last one month will be eligible to
be included in the survey. Snow ball
technique will be used to identify the
respondents. In the sample, attempts will be
made to include all the street children. Thus,
a total of 300 street children from 3 spots
will be included in the study

14. • Data Collection:
This study will be based on survey method.
Skilled interviewers will be recruited for data
collection. A seven-day intensive training will be
given to them which will consist of lectures, mock
interviews, role play, and field practice at the
community level. An instruction manual
explaining the key terms in the questionnaire will
be developed, and provided to the enumerators
as a guide.

15. Three teams of five members each will be formed.
On the day of interview, the team will identify the
first respondent according to the definition of
street children and criteria for selection. Secondly,
they will apply snow ball technique to identify
further respondents present in the spots for
interview. The study will include only those who
will be interested. Verbal consent will be taken
before the interview. The field activities will be
supervised by the researchers.

16. Data Analysis:
The data will be analyzed using both descriptive and
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
Ethical issues:
All respondent will be informed about the purpose of the
study and their verbal consent will be obtained before the
interview or information will be kept anonymous and
confidential.

17. Time Frame:
Selection of interviewers 1 week
Training of the interviewers 1 week
Designing of the questionnaire 15 days
Conduct of interview 1 month
Analysis of data 1 month
Writing of the final report 1 month
Total Time = 4 months

18. Budget:
Training of the interviewers 15,000.00 BDT
Honorary for the interviewers 60,000.00 ”
Gifts for respondents 15,000.00 ”
Equipments 10,000.00 ”
Others 20,000.00 ”
Total= 1, 20,000.00 BDT

19. Limitations of the Study:
The study will be confined to only three specific spots in
Dhaka city due to time limitations.

20. Anticipated result:
It is expected that after conducting this study we will be able
to find out the reasons of drug abuse by the street
children. We guess the causes will be as:
• Poverty
• Over population
• Impact of bad companion
• Depression and frustration
• Unconsciousness of parents
• Illiteracy
• Availability of drugs

21. References:
• Benegal Vivek. Drug Abuse Among Street Children in
Bangalore. Bangalore, India;1998.
• Njord L, Merril RM, Njord R, Lindsay R, Pahano JDR
(2010). Drug use among street children and non-street
children in Phillippines. Asia Pacific J Public Health
22(2):
203-11.
• Tuladhar S. Alcohol and Drug Use among Street
Children in Nepal. Kathmandu: Child Workers in Nepal
(CWIN); 2002.

22. • A Baseline survey of street children in Bangladesh by
Foundation for Research on Educational Planning and
Development (2003) published by The Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics, Parishakhan Bhaban, Agargaon,
Dhaka.
• Drug Abuse: Summaries of Research Studies Sponsored
By Ministry of Welfare (1992) Published by the National
Institute of Social Defense, Ministry of Welfare,
Government of India, New Delhi.
• Sharma Narayan and Joshi Suresh. Preventing –
substance abuse among street children in India: a
literature review. vol. 7 (2013), issue 2.