“Increasing Population is the Major Problem in Bangladesh”
Hasibur Rahman
Computer Instructor (Acting)
MIS Department, DU
In a small land area 147,570 sq. km Bangladesh is creating the most densely populated country in the world. With the growing population, and their increasing needs in various sectors, land use patterns are undergoing a qualitative change in which the areas under the net cropped land, and forest land is gradually shrinking. Increasing population will make scarcity of agricultural land, crisis of food security, crisis of health and education especially disaster on low and administration situation and will increase poverty level. Government needs to take immediate plan of action for the population control and take initiative steps to increase awareness of family planning program among the mass people to reduce growth of population. It is clear that educated people has already concern about the family planning program they think about their children’s future. They are having one or two children. Because, it is very hard to get admit in a good school, it is expensive for the food and cloth for the family members. But, illiterate peoples never think about their children’s future for education, food or cloths. They think more children’s is more future earning for their family. So they doesn’t care about to control of their family members growth. But, it shows that poor peoples children’s doesn’t go to school and after 10 years old they stats work in different workshops, shops, garages any work place and any how they need to earn money. Their female children’s start work as house mate in urban area, and as a garments worker. Still they remain illiterate and after 13-14 years their parent’s arranged marriage for them. They start to give birth from teen age to a long time and their chider’s life repeat as their parent’s life. This life cycle scenario is common and major factor in Bangladesh and increasing illiterate mass population is a dangerous sign for the present and future situation of the country. Illiteracy and poverty will break-down social structure now and near future. They don’t respect to the literate people they want to earn money at any way and any cost. So, it is evident that drugs dealing are performing in each and every slum area in Dhaka city and all over the Bangladesh. Increasing population is impacting on food, health, education and security crisis as well as habitat problem.
Population of Bangladesh is 156,050,883 (July 2009 est.) (Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics). But now The preliminary results of the Fifth Population and Household Census, released on Saturday, showed that Bangladesh’s population has reached 142.319 million, with a male-female ratio of 100.3:100 (July 2011 est.). Of the total population, 71.255 million are male and 71.064 million are female. How it’s possible that population has sharp decline from 156.05 million to 142.31 million magically within a year, whereas, population growth rate shows 1.292 % in 2009.
According to Banglapedia- National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, in 1997, Bangladesh had a total population of 124.3 million, of whom the number of children was 61.75 million. The population below 18 years constituted 49.6% of the total and below 14 years - 40.63% of the total. (Source: http://www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/C_0196.HTM). According to Demographics of Bangladesh, population of Bangladesh is 156,050,883 (July 2010 est.) and the growth rate: 1.292% (2009 est.) (Source: http:// en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Demographics_of_Bangladesh).
With the completion of the electoral roll with photograph, Bangladesh is now also the proud owner of the world’s largest electronic database of 8.11 crore (80.11 million) voters. According to Banglapaedia, the population below 18 years constituted 49.6% (almost 50%) of the total population who are not voter of Bangladesh. So, there should be another 8.11 crore (80.11 million) people need to add to count total population of Bangladesh. It is easy calculation shows that (8.11+8.11=16.22) crore people should be at present in Bangladesh may be more but not less then (160.22 million) which is 16.22 crore.
Bangladesh, with a population of over 16.22 million (16.22 crore), is one the most densely populated countries in the world. The population growth rate has, however, shown a marked decline over the last decade, from 2.04 % in 1995 to 1.292 % in 2009. About half of the population (8.11 million) is children and under 18 years of age. Bangladesh has been ranked was 138th among 177 countries in the Human development Index (HDI, 2005) and 1140th among 177 countries in the Human development Index (HDI, 2007).(Source:http://bdoza.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/human-development-index-hdi-of-bangladesh-in-un-report/. On the other hand, hundred thousands of people migrated from Bangladesh and they are residing in different country in Europe, America, Canada, Australia and Africa. But they are having dual citizenship so, they are also Bangladeshi citizen. Census committee can’t erase those migrated people who are holding dual citizenship from the census data. So it is clear that population in Bangladesh has increased tremendously not decline magically.
The following table lists various recent estimates of the population. The baseline for population studies on Bangladesh is the official census which is conducted every 10 years, the last being in 2001.
Source / Year / Population (millions)National Census / 1991 / 112
National Census / 2001 / 129
UN Population Fund / 2003 / 150
UN Dept Economic and Social Affairs / 2005 / 142
US State Dept / 2005 / 144
Population Reference Bureau / 2005 / 144
CIA World Fact Book / 2006 / 147
UN Population Fund / 2006 / 144
CIA World Fact Book / 2007 / 150
UN / 2007 / 159
World Bank / 2008 / 160
CIA World Fact Book / 2010 / 156
World Population Reference / 2010 / 164
The above table of data of population growth of Bangladesh shows that dangerous situation will face the government to meet-up food, shelter, education and health in Bangladesh now and near future.
Ministry of health and Family planning needs to give more priority about population growth and increase more awareness of population issues and field workers. They could ask help to BTV and all private TV channel, newspaper, radio to take this issue as a big concern. Media is the best tools to raise awareness of population growth among all types of people such as literate and illiterate people. If Media takes initiative steps is would be easy to enhance awareness of population growth. They could make short drama, population growth news, poster about the problem of big family and happiness of a small family. Very attractive drama about happiness of a small family members and big family members poverty, problems, unhappiness will come to concern to the mass people. Government must allocate handsome amount of money to the media to make these drama, news and poster and make a routine to show family planning related awareness advertisement; video clips each and every day and prepare a special order for BTV which is watch by the mass population in Bangladesh.
Government needs incorporate root level administration to do this type of population census, such as make an order to created web-portal for each and every WORD and UNION. In those web portal will contain all information about that specific area, such as total land area of that Word/Union subheading Agricultural Land, Forest Land, Homestead Land, Fellow Land, Wet Land, Ponds, River etc. and Population, Male Female, Children according their age category under 1 year 1-5, 5-15, 15-18 and above. Name, address, occupation, voter id number, TIN number etc. Every WORD and UNION based Web-Portal would be as under information.
Word/Union Number 001
Total Land Area
/Total Population
/Total Commercial Scenario
/Total Scholl, College/ Hospital
Homestead Land
/Male
/Business Category
/Primary School
Agricultural Land, Fellow Land
/Female,
/General Shop
/Secondary Scholl
Wet Land, Ponds, cannel, River etc
/Children (different age category)
/Small shop
/College
Forest Land
/Name
/Big Industry
/University
Wet Land
/Date of Birth
/Small Industry
/Public Hospital
Total Road area,
/Address
/Rental House
/Private Clinic
New roads, Bridge, embankment constructed etc.
/Occupation
/Agricultural Industry
/Institute categories
To full-fill the vision of Digital Bangladesh government need to create WEB-PORTAL of each and every WORD and UNION of all over the country. Government will be benefited to find out the total scenario of the specific WORD and UNION by single click. The Web-portal will update their data regularly after having new data of incoming such as new rental people inputs, new born baby and subtracted rental peoples move or after death for population. For new development data will input for new shops, industry, house, educational institute, hospital will be added as new data for update of the Web-portal.
These root level Web-portal data will tag/merge with the national level data for top level decision maker. General people of that WORD and UNION will come to know instant information and the situation of that WORD and UNION. They will come to know any development of that area such as new roads, bridge, culvert, school, college, hospital, industry etc. Like root level data collection and update will be a continuous process and national census will verify the data in every month then yearly data collection and up-gradation will be a true data and government could find out exact situation of population growth and other development from each and every WORD and UNION of Bangladesh.
Now-a-days, it is great concern that increasing population will raise illiteracy and poverty and impacting on food security, health and education crisis as well as residential problem. Every step of development will be hinder for the huge population, so government needs to take immediate action on this big issue.
Table shows the rank of world population:
Rank / Country or area / Population (000)1950 / 2000 / 2015 / 2025 / 2050
World / 2,519,495 / 6,056,715 / 7,207,361 / 7,936,741 / 9,322,251
1 / India / 357,561 / 1,008,937 / 1,230,484 / 1,351,801 / 1,572,055
2 / China / 554,760 / 1,275,133 / 1,410,217 / 1,470,787 / 1,462,058
3 / United States of America / 157,813 / 283,230 / 321,225 / 346,822 / 397,063
4 / Pakistan / 39,659 / 141,256 / 204,267 / 250,981 / 344,170
5 / Indonesia / 79,538 / 212,092 / 250,068 / 272,911 / 311,335
6 / Nigeria / 29,790 / 113,862 / 165,313 / 202,957 / 278,788
7 / Bangladesh / 41,783 / 137,439 / 183,159 / 210,823 / 265,432
8 / Brazil / 53,975 / 170,406 / 201,393 / 218,980 / 247,244
9 / Dem. Rep. of the Congo / 12,184 / 50,948 / 84,045 / 114,876 / 203,527
10 / Ethiopia / 18,434 / 62,908 / 89,765 / 113,418 / 186,452
Source: United nations Population Division (http://www.photius.com/rankings/world2050_rank.html)
World is becoming highly populated, it is time to raise awareness about Family Planning Program for birth control. Because, world is facing crisis of food, health and sanitation, education as well as settlement and security. Where there is low density of population there is fewer crises in all concerns. Increasing population causes of poverty and lack of resources making unequal income distribution in the world. Now, earth is over loaded with the 7 billion of people impacting on environment and social crisis. Increasing population is causing increasing illiterate population and poverty in all over the world. So, human resource development including birth control program is a big concern to take a long term action plan on literacy and poverty eradication program. Media is the best tools to raise awareness on birth control program among all types of people such as literate and illiterate people. If Media takes initiative steps in this matter it would be easy to enhance awareness of population growth. They could make short drama, population growth news, poster about the problem of big family and happiness of a small family. Very attractive drama about happiness of a small family members and big family members poverty, problems, unhappiness will come to concern to the mass people.