Lecture- 9 & 10 & 11: Unemployment & Poverty Reduction Process Presented by Abul Kalam Azad Senior Lecturer, GED Northern University Bangladesh

Introduction Bangladesh has been stereotyped as the archetypical theatre of poverty. It is the only country which is categorized as the least developed one with over 75 million people. There is a great deal of suspicion about prospect for rapid unemployment & poverty reduction in the country without which accelerated growth is impossible. Let’s examine the poverty trends in the country critically, unearth the process of such reduction and suggest a more grounded strategy of poverty reduction in Bangladesh.

Poverty Trends in Bangladesh There is considerable disagreement about the extent of income poverty in Bangladesh for the earlier period between 1960s and 1980s. In 1980s there was greater consensus among various studies. But discrepancies among different estimates persisted. Wodon’s figure was 13 percent higher than the official estimate of BBS. Let’s cast our glance at the poverty stats in Bangladesh.

Table 1: Poverty Trends in Bangladesh: YearNationalRuralUrban Source: Sen 2003 & BBS 2000

Table 2: Rural Poverty Trends: YearAll poorPoverty gap Squared poverty gap Source: Sen, 2003: 514; BBS, 2002:X.

Table 3: Rural Poverty Trends : BIDS 62 Village Survey Indicator All Poor Extreme Poor Poverty Gap Ratio (%) Distributionally Sensitive Index Source: Sen, 2003: 514; BBS, 2002:X.

Table 4: Trends in Nutritional Status of Rural Children 6-59 Months IndicatorAug 90- Jul 91 Aug 91- Jul 92 Aug 92- Jul 93 Aug 93- Jul 94 Aug 94- July 94 Aug 95- Jul 96 Stunting (Prevent Growth) Under- weight Source: Sen, 2003: 514; BBS, 2002:X.

Table 5: Comparison poverty measurement {Upper (2122k.cal) Poverty Line} Indicator (Percent of Population) 2000(Percent of Population) DCI Method CBN method DCI Method CBN method National Rural Urban Source: Sen, 2003: 514; BBS, 2002:X.

Lecture- 9 & 10 & 11: Unemployment & Poverty Reduction Process Presented by Abul Kalam Azad Senior Lecturer, GED Northern University Bangladesh

Table 6: Comparison poverty measurement {Lower (1805k.cal) Poverty Line} Indicator (Percent of Population) 2000(Percent of Population) DCI Method CBN method DCI Method CBN method National Rural Urban Source: Sen, 2003: 514; BBS, 2002:X.

Bangladesh in terms of HDIRanking (Index) Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) (40.5) HDI value140 (0.547) Source: Human Development Index Report 2008 Table: Human Poverty & Development Index

Characteristics of Poverty in BD From these studies several broad characteristics of poverty in BD have been identified (Rahman, 2002;BBS, 2001;BBS, 2002;Sen, 2003;Mujeri, 1997). 1.Declining rate of Poverty which is extremely slow improvement is from % per year during the 1990s. 2.Extreme manifestations of poverty (such as lack of minimum clothing or basic shelter or starvation) have declined. 3.Reduction of poverty is faster in urban areas. 4.An increasing concentration of poverty among the female–headed households. 5.Rajshahi has the highest rate of poverty.

5.Declining in absolute poverty accompanied by an increase in relative poverty. 6.The HPI (human poverty index) fell from 61.3 percent in to 40.5 percent in The (HDI) human development index had nearly doubled in three decades between 1960 and It increased from to Declining rate of stunting ranging from 54.6 in 1996/97 to 44.8 percent in 1999/ There has been impressive progress in the reduction of infant and child mortality. 12. The life expectancy has increased. (BIDS, 2001).

How to Alleviate Poverty World Bank prescribed Eight-Point Strategic Agenda for poverty reduction as follows: 1.Employment 2. Nutrition 3. Quality Education (particularly in primary, secondary and vocational levels with strong emphasis on girls' 4. education) 5. Local governance 6. Maternal Health 7. Sanitation and Safe Water 8. Criminal Justice 9. Monitoring