Bangladesh Problems

Authors Avatar

Bangladesh Problems.

Bangladesh is considered a third world country; the major crisis Bangladesh endures is poverty. Increasing at a rate of about 2.06% per year, the current population of Bangladesh is about 138 million. 35.6% of the population is below the poverty line (Coutsoukis). Steps are taken to diminish the number of citizens that are below the poverty line. For example, Bangladesh decreased its illiteracy level of females from 73.5% in 1995 (Data Profile) to 31.8% in 2003 (Coutsoukis). This means that more and more people are deciding to receive an education.

The Bangladesh government and the Bangladesh Aid Group have taken seriously the idea that Bangladesh is the test case for development. In the late 1980s, it was possible to say, in the somewhat patronizing tone sometimes adopted by representatives of donor organizations, that Bangladesh had generally been a "good performer." Even in straitened times for the industrialized countries, Bangladesh remained a favored country for substantial commitments of new aid resources from a strikingly broad range of donors.  Even with the greatest imaginable efficiency in planning and administration, resource-poor and overpopulated Bangladesh cannot achieve significant economic improvements on the basis of that level of assistance.

Join now!

In examining the economy of Bangladesh, wherever one turns the problems crowd in and threaten to overwhelm the analysis. Underlying problems that have threatened the young nation remain unsolved. These problems include overpopulation and inadequate nutrition, health, and education resources; a low standard of living, and vulnerability to natural disaster; virtual absence of valuable metals; and inadequate government and bureaucratic structures. Yet the brief history of independent Bangladesh offers much that is encouraging and satisfying. The World Bank, leader of the Bangladesh Aid Group, described the country in 1987 as a success story for economic development and expressed optimism ...

This is a preview of the whole essay