Bangladesh: Cricket cup city pays off beggars
About 300 disabled beggars in Chittagong, Bangladesh's second largest city, have agreed not to beg during the Cricket World Cup in March.
"There is no need to beg and vex people when the city authority has pledged to pay us daily sustenance," said beggar Nur Mohammad. "We beg because physical disabilities keep us away from doing labour for earning."
The beggars gathered at the office of the city corporation as requested by the mayor, who asked them to accept a daily allowance of 150 taka (1.30) each for the next three months in exchange for stopping begging on the streets.
Some 40 per cent of Bangladesh's 150 million people live below the poverty line, earning little more than 60p a day.