ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT
COUNTRY ANALYSIS:
BANGLADESH, THE
LAND OF RIVERS

MEMBERS:
CLAIRE ANN DE LEON
NILO CANGAYDA
REMILYN MATABUENA
JAYRIE SABADAO
NOELYN UBALDE
JAZZMINE M. DALANGPAN

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 Introduction
Gano Projatontri Bangladesh or Bangladesh is a riverine country
located in the Southern part of Asia in the confluence of the
Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers of the Northeastern part of the
Indian subcontinent. Bangladesh is known as the “Land of Bengals”
wherein Bengal is formerly a province in India however divided now
into India (western part of Bengal) and Bangladesh (eastern part of
Bengal). Despite its diminutive geography, which only occupies an
area of 143,998 km², it is imperceptibly larger compared to Greece
but two times smaller than the Philippines. Howbeit, Bangladesh is still
one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with an
approximately 171 million population in the year 2021.

Having said that, Bangladesh has an abundant supply of water

and fertile soil because of the waterways that consist of major rivers
such as Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, and Karnaphuli.
However, during summer, the country becomes an aquatic land
because of flash floods caused by heavy rains that can’t be
released due to the storms in the sea. The combination of heavy
rains, storm surge, flash floods, and river inundation has made it
difficult to control summer flooding, not to mention the occasional
occurrence of big floods every few years which covered 70 percent
of the country’s land; although constant flooding nourishes the soil, it
also caused great devastation to Bengalis.

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 Nevertheless, Bangladesh is indeed blessed with deep, rich,
and fertile soil that more than 70 percent of land in the region is
dedicated to agriculture and more than 30 percent (2020) of the
total labor force employed in agriculture, although the agricultural
labor rate has decreased 9.4% to 15.5% from the year 2000 up to the
year 2010. Concurrently, Bangladesh is a predominantly agricultural-
based country wherein agriculture plays a big part in the economic
growth of the country; therefore, it’s essential to have a profitable
and efficient agricultural system. However, despite the large
contribution of the agriculture sector to the overall economy of
Bangladesh, they remain subsistence-based in farming due to the
inefficient infrastructure that limits the farmers' capability to cultivate
greater production; thus, the Global Strategy in Asia Pacific devised
strategic plans for the agricultural and rural needs of Bangladesh.

Agriculture Sector

Agriculture is the largest employment sector in Bangladesh,

making up 14.2 percent of Bangladesh's GDP in 2017 and employing
about 42.7 percent of the workforce. The performance of this sector
has an overwhelming impact on major macroeconomic objectives
like employment generation, poverty alleviation, human resources
development, food security, and other economic and social forces.
A plurality of Bangladeshis earns their living from agriculture. Due to
several factors, Bangladesh's labor-intensive agriculture has

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 achieved steady increases in food grain production despite the
often unfavorable weather conditions. These include better flood
control and irrigation, generally more efficient use of fertilizers, as well
as the establishment of better distribution and rural credit networks.

Although rice and jute are the primary crops, maize and
vegetables are assuming greater importance. Due to the expansion
of irrigation networks, some wheat producers have switched to the
cultivation of maize which is used mostly as poultry feed. Tea is
grown in the northeast. Because of Bangladesh's fertile soil and
normally ample water supply, rice can be grown and harvested
three times a year in many areas. The country is among the top
producers of rice (fourth), potatoes (seventh), tropical fruits (sixth),
jute (second), and farmed fish (fifth). With 35.8 million metric tons
produced in 2000, rice is Bangladesh's principal crop. In comparison
to rice, wheat output in 1999 was 1.9 million tonnes (1,900,000 long
tons; 2,100,000 short tons).

Population pressure continues to place a severe burden on

productive capacity, creating a food deficit, especially of wheat.
Foreign assistance and commercial imports fill the gap.
Underemployment remains a serious problem, and a growing
concern for Bangladesh's agricultural sector will be its ability to
absorb additional manpower. Finding alternative sources of
employment will continue to be a daunting problem for future
governments, particularly with the increasing numbers of landless

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 peasants who already account for about half the rural labor force.
Other challenges facing the sector include environmental issues:
insecticides, water management challenges, pollution, and land
degradation all affect the agricultural system in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with
extreme weather and temperature changes significantly changing
the conditions for growing food. Adaptation of the agricultural
sector is a major concern for policy addressing climate change in
Bangladesh.

Urbanization and Domestic Migration

Population shift or urbanization is a spontaneous occurrence,

wherein a large number of people migrate from rural areas to urban
areas resulting in the rapid growth of cities and urban regions. It’s an
inevitable and dynamic process, hence, Bangladesh is no
exemption. The 21st century has become the century of urbanization,
wherefore, it is consistently being used as an indicator for economic
development, howbeit, extemporaneous urbanization can pose a
threat to still developing countries. Having said that, it is an ongoing
process even in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has a long history of urbanization, from the

beginning of the 20th century up to the present time. Whilst, Indian’s
independence from British rule has become a catalyst for rapid

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 urbanization, however, decelerates during the beginning of the 21st
century. Table no. 1
YEAR TOTAL POPLATION URBAN POPULATION URBAN % OF POPULATION
2020 164, 689,989 64, 814, 953 39.4%
2015 156, 256, 276 55, 305, 132 35.4%
2010 147, 574, 430 46, 347, 089 31.4%
2005 139, 035, 505 38, 452, 967 27.7%
2000 127, 657, 854 31, 040, 651 24.3%
1995 115, 169, 930 25, 751, 454 22.4%
1990 103, 171, 956 21, 037, 450 20.4%
1985 90, 764, 183 16, 305, 971 18.0%
1980 79, 0639, 491 12, 099, 053 15.2%
1975 70, 066, 301 7, 013, 461 10.0%
1970 64, 232, 482 4, 938, 975 7.7%
1965 55, 385, 112 3, 467, 675 6.3%
1960 48, 013, 504 2, 474, 987 5.2%
1955 42, 086, 301 1, 974, 441 4.7%

Based on the table from the Worldmeter, there had been a

significant increase in rural-urban migration over the past 65 years.
From more than 1 million or 4.7% of the total population in the year
1955 to more than 64 million or 39.4% of the total population in the
year 2020; ultimately, there had been more than 30% growth in the
population of urban areas in Bangladesh. According to Khan (2008),
the percent of the urban population to the total population of
Bangladesh will reach approximately 40 percent.

Table no. 2
YEAR RURAL RURAL % OF URBAN URBAN % OF
POPULATION POPULATION POPULATION POPULATION
2020 99, 874, 430 61 64, 814, 953 39
2015 100, 951, 144 65 55, 305, 132 35
2010 101, 228, 341 69 46, 347, 089 31
2005 100, 582, 529 72 38, 452, 976 28
2000 96, 617, 203 76 31, 040, 651 24
1995 89, 418, 476 78 25, 751, 454 22
1990 821, 345, 506 80 21, 037,450 20

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 1980 67, 540, 438 85 12, 099, 053 15
1970 59, 293, 507 92 4, 938, 975 8
1960 45, 538, 517 95 2, 474, 987 5

As stated in table no. 2, in the year 1960, the population of rural

areas in Bangladesh is approximately over 95%. Almost all Bengalis
live in rural areas. However, it declined more than 30% as the 21st
century approached. Ultimately, Dhaka is the capital city of
Bangladesh and is one of the most densely populated cities in the
world. Having said that Dhaka city was not able to keep up with the
accelerating growth of the city hence resulted in uneven and
chaotic urbanization. Moreover, according to The Global Liveability
Report 2017, the city of Dhaka ranked 137 out of 140 cities with a
38.7 overall rating out of 100. Certainly, it’s included in the ten least
liveable cities.

According to Lipi and Hasan's study (2021), there are several

qualities of urbanization in Bangladesh, such as dynamic progression
of social transformation, small cities that are densely populated, the
appearance of slum areas in cities to create housing for migrants
and has business firms located in the area as the main industrial
production. Considering the rapid growth of urbanization, it’s
inevitable for problems and risks to arise, may it be due to
unpreparedness or lack of proper response, it’s undoubtedly is also
facing challenges against rapid urbanization. One of the common
challenges is Spatial Imbalance or imbalances of the rural and
urban population. Another one is Urban Health Issues. Due to the

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 imbalances of the population in rural and urban areas, it resulted in
gigantism of urban population which puts health facilities in difficult
situations. Not to mention the increasing number of diseases caused
by aggravating issues in pollutions, waste mismanagement, and
global warming. Furthermore, urbanized areas that have imbalances
In population tend to lack potable water and have inadequate
sewerage management. Challenges in the Sustainability of the City
are also one of the major problems in rapid urbanization. It has
become a dilemma in Bangladesh, wherein the sustainability of the
economy and environment is not being met due to the
overpopulation of the area. It resulted in serious problems in pollution
and depletion of resources. Lastly is Urban Poverty. It may be the
most alarming challenge of most developing countries. During the
past years, the urban poverty rate of Bangladesh has been
gradually increasing alongside urbanization. Impetuous urbanization
generates dilemmas in cities and becomes a catalyst to escalate
urban poverty.

Population Growth
Through the 1960s and 1970s, the birth rate in Bangladesh was
among the highest in the world but that started to slow down
considerably in the 1980s. The fertility rate is now at 2.4 children born
per woman. Bangladesh has a fairly young population with 34%
aged 15 and younger and just 5% aged 65 and older.

BANGLADESH POPULATION PROJECTIONS

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 The rate of growth has been slowing steadily for quite a while,
and that trend is expected to continue further into the 21st century.
The country is currently growing at an annual rate of around 1%, but
this is expected to halve by 2040. Bangladesh is expected to reach a
population of 170 million by 2020, and 186 million by 2030.

Population Rank 8

Growth 1.03% (110th

World Percentage 2.13%

Density 1278/km² (10th)

Land Area 130,170 km²

The current population of Bangladesh is 166,202,758 based on

projections of the latest United Nations data. The UN estimates the
July 1, 2021 population at 166,303,498.

BANGLADESH POPULATION CLOCK

Bangladesh Population (as of 6/8/2021) 166,202,758

Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2021) 166,303,498
Births per Day 7,864
Deaths per Day 2,507
Migrations per Day -977
Net Change per Day 4,380
Population Change Since Jan. 1 692,040

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 CITIES IN BANGLADESH
Table no. 3
The capital and CITIES POPULATION
Dhaka 10,356,500
largest city of Bangladesh
Chittagong 3,920,222
is Dhaka, which has a Khulna 1,342,339
Rajshahi 700,133
population of 10.3 million Rajshahi 389,411
Shibganj 378,701
and a density of 19,447 Natore 369,138
Rangpur 343,122
people per square mile Tungi 337,579
Narsingdi 281,080
(50,368/square mile). The
city has a metro population of more than 7 million. Dhaka is often
called the Rickshaw Capital of the World with more than 600,000
cycle rickshaws on the roads every day. The next-largest city is
Chittagong, with a population of 3.9 million.

Table no. 4
YEAR POPULATION GROWTH RATE DENSITY POPULATION RANK
2021 166, 303, 498 1.03% 1277.59 8
2020 164. 689, 383 1.01% 1265.19 8
2019 163, 376, 708 1.03% 1252.56 8
2018 161, 685, 424 1.08% 1239.74 8
2017 159,685,424 1.08% 1226.75 8
2016 157,977,153 1.10% 1213.62 8
2015 156,256,276 1.15% 1200.40 8
2010 147,575,430 1.20% 1133.71 8
2005 139,035,505 1.72% 1068.11 8
2000 127,657,854 2.08% 980.70 9
1995 115,169,930 2.23% 884.77 10
1990 103,171,956 2.60% 792.59 10
1985 90,764,183 2.65% 697.27 9
1980 79,639,491 2.59% 611.81 9
1975 70,066,301 1.75% 538.27 10
1970 64,232,482 3.01% 493.45 10
1965 55,385,112 2.90% 425.48 10
1960 48,013,504 2.67% 368.85 10

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 1955 42,086,301 2.12% 323.32 10

Reasons for Bangladesh’s continued growth include low

contraception use, child marriage, and high total and adolescent
fertility rates. Additionally, the birth rate in Bangladesh is 17.88 births
per 1,000 people and the death rate is about 4.8 deaths per 1,000
people. In terms of religions preferred by the population, we see that
Muslims come in with 89.1% of the population, Hindu with 10%, and
other religions make up the remaining 0.9% (includes Buddhist,
Christian) of the population.

Life expectancy in Bangladesh is currently at 73.4 years of age,

with an overall happiness ranking of 115 out of all other countries
with recorded data. The accessibility of clean water and improved
sanitation is still struggling with respective numbers of 13.1% struggling
for clean water and 39.4% struggling to access sanitation. Only 72.8%
of the population over 15 years of age is literate, with a GDP
expenditure of only 2.5% on education.

Poverty Level

Poverty in Bangladesh is partly a result of the long history of low

urbanization, weak institutions, spotty and inadequate physical
infrastructure, and insufficient entrepreneurship. However, poverty
remains a serious problem that hinders Bangladesh’s ambition of
becoming a middle-income country. Although there are many
causes of poverty in Bangladesh, some of the main culprits are

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 calamitous weather, weak infrastructure, and gender inequality that
prevents women from contributing to the economy.

One of the factors that generate poverty is the prevalence of

natural disasters. As a low-lying country situated on the Bay of
Bengal, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to violent
weather patterns that regularly destroy crops, homes, and lives.
Since agriculture supports 47 percent of the population, the losses
can be especially devastating: a massive blow from a flood or a
cyclone can cut off villages’ access to food, electricity, and water.
Additionally, Bangladesh has the disadvantage of being situated on
active tectonic boundaries, making it susceptible to earthquakes
and tsunamis. A natural disaster can crush gradual progress in a
community in an instant.

Another of the main causes of poverty in Bangladesh is the lack

of infrastructure. As the densely populated country continues to
grow, reliable means to get to work becomes a necessity for people
to earn their day’s wages. Bangladesh only spends two percent of its
GDP on infrastructure, while other states such as China, Thailand,
and Vietnam invest more than seven percent. Although spending on
infrastructure can be expensive, not investing in it proves to be costly
in the long term.

Human Capital

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BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

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Environmental Development

Bangladesh is among the countries most affected by pollution

and other environmental health risks. The major environmental issues
and problems in Bangladesh are climate change, natural calamities
(lightning, cyclone, flood, flash flood, drought, earthquake, riverbank
erosion, and sedimentation), geospatial setting, and environmental
pollutions (air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and noise
pollution). Pollution in its many forms led to one in four deaths in

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

 Bangladesh, which is among the highest rates in the world.
Moreover, pollution affects poor communities most severely, further
harming the ability of vulnerable people to benefit from economic
prosperity.

The country needs to reduce environmental harm and

embrace green-growth policies to ensure sustainable economic
development in the coming decades.

In Bangladesh, the World Bank continues to be committed to

ensuring that our financing brings climate change co-benefits and is
supporting numerous projects focused on inclusive green growth, to
promote a cleaner environment and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.

We are confident that a “Clean and Green Bangladesh” is

achievable through the government's commitment to environmental
sustainability, the country's renowned innovation, and learning from
international experiences. Moreover, addressing pollution challenges
will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make cities more
climate-resilient, another win given Bangladesh's vulnerability to the
impact of climate change.

BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

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BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) IN BANGLADESH: KEY CHALLENGES

AND MISSING LINKS: FOCUS SHOULD BE ON INTERNAL RESOURCE
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BANGLADESH: COUNTRY ANALYSIS GROUP 6