Social Problems of Bangladesh

SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF BANGLADESH Written by : Ram Krishna Paul, B.Sc. in EEE, 25th | B | Day, SUB

A lots of social problems are rounded Bangladesh. Few major social problems are discussed in bellow one after another: Population increases at an unsustainable rate: It is entirely possible that the perilous situation that awaits Bangladesh with its population growth isn’t getting the kind of consideration that it so deserves. Or it may be that people are very indifferent about the whole matter. But ignoring or avoiding the problem itself would not somehow make it go away, and would only make the situation worse for this poverty stricken country, and the world. Bangladesh is the 7th largest country in the world in population where 150 million people are virtually elbowing each other in a land that is 134,000 sq km in area with a population density of more than 1100 people per sq km. The population growth rate among the educated people in Bangladesh has come down by a considerable extent. But its growth rate among the underprivileged, who continue to constitute a big majority, is double the rate of the educated group. Since the poor people have no steady income (some practically live hand to mouth), they customarily want more children as security and support in old age.During independence in 1971, the population of Bangladesh was about 75 million. After 37 years, its population is believed to have more than doubled. The current estimate of population growth in the country varies from 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent a year depending on whose assessment one pays attention to. For good measure, if one takes a middle ground and considers a growth rate of say 1.75 per cent a year, it would mean that Bangladesh population will double in the next 40 years, while at the lowest rate the doubling time would be 47 years. How serious a problem would the country face when its population doubles? Problem of Poverty: With a per capita income of about $200 in 1991, Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than half the population-50 million people--live in poverty. The most vulnerable groups include small farmers, landless rural laborers, and workers in the urban informal sector. Health care, nutrition, and education standards are low, especially among women and children. The earning potential of most poor people is limited by their lack of skills, assets, and access to credit. Given its limited natural resources, high population density, and frequent natural disasters, Bangladesh faces an enormous challenge in its efforts to reduce poverty.The only lasting way to reduce poverty is to ensure sustainable economic growth, by implementing policies to promote financial stability and the efficient use of resources. Road Accidents: Developing countries are experiencing very serious road safety problems and Bangladesh is one of these countries. Nearly 80 percent of road deaths are in the age group of 5-45 years which have significant economic and societal impacts.Latest studies revealed that there are 10000-12000 deaths from road traffic injuries each year in Bangladesh, nearly 25 percent occurring in the urban areas. The rapid urbanization process, high vehicular population growth and that of the mobility, inadequate transportation facilities and policies, varied traffic mix with over concentration of non-motorized vehicles, absence of dependable public transport system and inadequate traffic management practices and parking facilities have created a significant worsening of traffic and safety problems in the major urban centers. Indeed, in urban areas of Bangladesh pedestrians represent often up to 70 percent of the total road accident fatalities. Their involvement varies between 43 and 73 percent of the road accident fatalities in the medium sized cities. Health Problem: Although Bangladesh had a basic health care infrastructure in the 1980s, much remained to be done, particularly in rural areas, where the majority of the people faced critical health problems. The main dangers to health in the late 1980s were much the same as they were at the time of independence. The incidence of communicable disease was extensive, and there was widespread malnutrition, inadequate

sewage disposal, and inadequate supplies of safe drinking water. The fertility rate was also extremely high. Only 30 percent of the population had access to primary health care services, and overall health care performance remained unacceptably low by all conventional measurements. Life expectancy at birth in FY 1985, according to official Bangladesh statistics was estimated at 55.1 years, as opposed to 61 years in comparable developing countries. Morbidity and mortality rates for women and children were high. Infant mortality rates exceeded 125 deaths per 1,000 live births, the maternal mortality rate was 6 per 1,000 live births, and 56.1 percent of infants suffered from chronic malnutrition. More than 45 percent of rural families and 76 percent of urban families were below the acceptable caloric intake level. About two-thirds of all families received insufficient protein and vitamins. Administrative Corruption: An opinion survey conducted in 1992 of household heads in Dhaka City found that 68.25% of respondents paid bribes to concerned officials to get services (Aminuzzaman, 1996). The findings of the survey indicated that members of law enforcing agencies, customs and income tax departments were involved in administrative corruption (Aminuzzaman, 1996). Another finding of the survey reaffirmed the commonly held belief that the higher the level of bureaucracy the lower the frequency but higher the amount of bribe; and the lower the level of bureaucracy the higher the frequency but less the amount of bribe (Aminuzzaman, 1996). The Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad (BUP) only recently conducted an opinion survey of 2197 individuals selected randomly from sixty districts. This survey indicated that 95% of respondents felt that the police department was most corrupt while 82% opined that the secretariat (where most ministries/divisions are located) and the judicial system were most corrupt. In the corruption indicator the customs department came second with 91% of respondents considering its officials extremely corrupt. The officials of the Taxation Department were placed in third position as 90% of the respondents felt they were extremely corrupt (BUP, 1997). Political Corruption: Using position while in power to grant undue favor and benefit to one’s relatives, friends and key supporters is a hall-mark of politics in Bangladesh. All the effective rulers have been accused of either direct or indirect involvement in large-scale corruption. *** *** ***