Living on the edge: A qualitative exploration of informal life under flyovers in Dhaka

Homeless populations face multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities in rapidly urbanizing cities; however, the lived experiences of individuals residing beneath flyovers in Dhaka remain underexplored. This study explores their lived experiences, with particular attention to shelter, food security, safety, and personal identity, and challenges related to food, income, housing, safety risks, extreme weather, and sexual violence. By employing a qualitative design, data collection was conducted with 20 in-depth interviews (IDIs) using purposive sampling. The study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to facilitate an in-depth exploration of participants' lived experiences of homelessness. Themes were developed inductively from the raw data and subsequently interpreted within the study's theoretical framework. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-stage thematic approach and NVivo 15 to facilitate systematic data coding. The findings reveal that people residing under flyovers face informal housing, food shortages, unstable informal incomes, exposure to harsh weather, dependence on begging, security risks, and experiences of sexual violence. Future large-scale mixed-methods research involving women, children, and people with disabilities is needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of homelessness and vulnerability in urban Bangladesh. The findings provide evidence to inform more inclusive urban policies that integrate temporary shelter, accessible healthcare, livelihood support, and community safety for people experiencing homelessness beneath flyovers in Dhaka, Bangladesh.