Bangladesh: Poverty Assessment;

Bangladesh's economic reform started with the implementation of investment

friendly economic policies, privatization of public industries, budgetary discipline,
and liberalization of trade were among the key elements behind acceleration of
Bangladesh's economy. Since then, Bangladesh has been among the fastest
growing economies in the world, exceeding 6 percent growth annually between
2004 and 2015. The GDP growth further accelerated exceeding 7 percent mark
since then, and is projected to gradually exceed 10 percent growth until 2020
Among Bangladesh's many economic and social achievements, dramatic reduction
in poverty in often considered a phenomenon among international organizations
such as IMF and The World Bank. Between 1972 and 2018, Bangladesh's
population living on less than $1.90/day is estimated to have fallen from 90% to
9%. Between 2008 and 2018, the per capita income in the country increased 149%.
As of 2020, female labor force participation rate stands at 45%, while net female
school enrollment rate stands at a staggering 98%. World Economic Forum ranks
Bangladesh as the most gender-equal nation in South Asia (ranked 47th, followed
by Maldives 106th; India 108th).

Rural Poverty:
Many people live in remote areas that lack services such as education, health
clinics, and adequate roads, particularly road links to markets. An estimated 35
percent of the population in rural areas lives below the poverty line. They suffer
from persistent food insecurity, own no land and assets, are often uneducated, and
may also suffer serious illnesses or disabilities. Another 29 percent of the rural
population is considered moderately poor. Though they may own a small plot of
land and some livestock and generally have enough to eat, their diets lack
nutritional value. As a result of health problems or natural disasters, they are at risk
of sliding deeper into poverty. Women are among the poorest of the rural poor,
especially when they are the sole heads of their households. They suffer from
discrimination and have few earning opportunities, and their nutritional intake is
often inadequate.

Urban Poverty:
An estimated 21 percent of the population in urban areas lives below the poverty
line. People living in urban areas, like Sylate, Dhaka, Chittagong,Khulna,
and Rajshahi enjoy a better standard of living, with electricity, gas, and clean water
supplies.[17] Even in the major cities, however, "a significant proportion of
Bangladeshis live in squalor in dwellings that fall apart during the monsoon season
and have no regular electricity. These Bangladeshis have limited access to health
care and to clean drinking water.