Migration and urban livelihoods: a translocal perspective in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, is the second fastest growing megacity in the world with a population of 18 million people. This growth largely stems from rural to urban migration , which is often triggered by natural disasters or lack of employment opportunities in rural areas. 300,000 to 400,000 people migrate to Dhaka every year. However, like other megacities, the local government of Dhaka has failed to provide for the housing and employment needs of incoming migrants. Consequently, almost one third of Dhaka's population lives in slum areas. They rely heavily on their social and kinship networks to access public spaces to earn an income. Drawing on interview data with poor migrants from Sattola slum in Dhaka, this paper explores how the urban poor make use of translocal networks to find work and claim a space for livelihoods in the city