The impact of forced evictions on the livelihoods of the urban poor: the case of a development induced displacement in korail, dhaka, bangladesh

Abstract

This paper talks about such a case from April 2012, which involved an eviction of a section of the biggest informal settlement Korail, in Dhaka. The eviction has brought into focus the need for a coherent urban poverty and resettlement approach. One part of the slum was bulldozed to extend the main road, as a development project of the government. The plans worked in terms of development initiative, but the policy remained silent on relocation of the evictees. The progress for this research was supported by a quasi-experiment as a strategy. The objective was to reveal an evaluation of the effects on the livelihoods of the evictees and suggest right based alternatives to this development induced eviction. The experiment compared two groups on their livelihood assets and strategies. The evictees were titled as the treatment group and the non-evictees as the control group. Although the comparison inclined more on the “before-after” situation of the treatment group, the control group was considered to explain what would have happened to the treatment group if this eviction had not happened. The research method involved analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data obtained from surveys and semistructured interviews. The specific suggestions for the policy makers and involved authorities remain to be focused on the laws against eviction and housing rights besides being considerate and coordinated towards the issues of homelessness or landlessness.