Dhaka’s sprawling slums have long been emblematic of hardship, but a worsening crisis is now exacerbating the struggles of their residents—the alarming rise in drug addiction. A field visit to various slum areas reveals a grim reality where substance abuse is tearing apart families and futures.

In Korail slum, Nipa recounts her father’s tragic downfall. Once a hardworking man, he now spends his days intoxicated, leaving Ripa and her mother to toil as domestic workers to sust...