The New Nation - Internet Edition

A.T.M.Nurun Nabi

The rate of percentage of absolute poverty in the country declined to 40.4 from 47.5 and that of hardcore poverty fell to 19.5 from 28.10 in 14 years from 1991-92 but the number of the poverty stricken people went up.

Taking of food below 2122 kilo calorie of food per day by a person is considered absolute poverty while that of below 1805 kilo calorie per day is taken to be hardcore poverty. Another criterion is that poverty refers to the earning of less than one dollar per day. And according to Islamic theory, a man failing to meet the basic needs with his legal income is called poor.

According to Bangladesh Economic Review 2007, the percentage of people living on the line of absolute poverty (DCI system) at the national level was 47.5 in 1991-92 and 1995-96, 44.3 in 2000 and 40.4 in 2005. On the other hand, the percentage of people living on the line of hard core poverty was 28.10 in 1991-92, 25.1 in 1995-96, 20.00 in 2000 and 19.5 in 2005.

An interesting matter is that the number of the absolute poverty stricken people increased to 56 million from 51.6 m in 14 years from 1991-92. It means there is no reason to feel happy at the declining rate of poverty as overall number has been rising. There are several causes of poverty in Bangladesh.

These are absence of job opportunities, river erosion, exploitation of village people by the moneylenders and some of NGOs, concentration of wealth in the hands of the few, improper income distribution, erroneous social structure, corruption at national level and no room for the landless farmers in the bank loan.

It is said that the number of the landless farmers rose from 20 percent in the sixties to over 60 percent during the first decade of the 21st century. It is because the marginal farmers become constrained to take loan from the moneylenders at high rate of interest.

In case of poor production, they become unable to repay loan and leave the small piece of land with the moneylenders. And the NGO's exploitation has been exposed in the days after 11/15 super-cyclones.

They did not hesitate to press a borrower undone by the sea storm, finally agreed to stop collection of installment from the borrower only when the state intervened.

An economist said that the removal of the causes of poverty will improve the condition of the poor people.