Thirteen-year-old Sajid of Durgapur union in Ulipur should be in school, but family hardship has put him behind the handlebars of an auto-rickshaw. His earnings from long days on the road pay for rent, food and his father's medicine.

Sajid lost his mother when he was four. His father, Abdul Baten, later developed heart disease and the family sold its land to meet treatment costs. Father and son now live in a rented shop room at Kamalkhamar market.

Sajid wants to return to school, but being the household's only earner makes regular attendance impossible. His story reflects a wider problem: poverty pushes children in Kurigram into risky transport, lathe and welding work.

Child-rights advocates say household income support, medical care for sick parents, education stipends and jobs for adults are essential to reduce child labour and return children like Sajid to the classroom.

This report was independently rewritten from facts published by Prothom Alo on 1 May 2026.