The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Friday called for strengthening the motivational programmes for workers, landless and floating people, urban slum dwellers and the poor in char and remote hilly areas to reduce the poor population.

He said the Family Planning Directorate has taken up a good number of motivational programmes in this regard. But it is difficult for it alone to build up public opinion against the backdrop of low literacy rate, unemployment, unawareness, stigma and superstition.

Dr Fakhruddin urged all concerned including different ministries, NGOs, non-government service-oriented institutions and various professional organizations to take up realistic programmes and implement those to achieve the objective.

The head of the caretaker government was inaugurating a programme at Osmani Memorial Auditorium, marking the World Population Day 2008.

The theme of this year's population day is: "It's a right, let's make it real."

The Chief Adviser suggested that population control programmes would have to be taken targeting the early-married couples.

Presently, the rate of unmet need in family planning is 17.6 percent, which was 11.3 percent in 2004. This shows the rate of unmet need increased by over 6 percent in last four years.

Juveniles, ranging from 10-19 years, constitute 23 percent of the total population in the country. The percentage of unmet need is much among the married women of 15-19 years old and the rate is 19.8 percent, it was told in the function.

Dr Fakhruddin said that despite demand of family planning services by a huge number of couples, often it is not being possible to reach such services to them.

The family planning services still do not reach 17.6 percent of couples and quick steps will have to be taken to this end, he said, adding that the rate of unmet need is much more in Sylhet, Chittagong and Barisal.

Health Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali, DG Family Planning Directorate Kamrun Nesa Khanam and UNFPA country representative Arthur Erken also spoke at the function, chaired by Health Secretary AKM Zafarullah Khan.

Earlier, the Chief Adviser distributed prizes among the seven best performers in family planning activities from seven categories in six divisions.

A total of 42 prizes were given for making special contribution in checking maternal and infant mortality and in family planning activities last year in the categories of family welfare inspector, family welfare assistant, mother and child welfare centre, upazila, union, union health and family welfare centre and non-government organizations.

Each prize carries a crest and certificate, while additional Tk 5,000 in prize bonds for family welfare inspector and family welfare assistant categories.

The Chief Adviser in his speech said population is a very important matter for the country in the perspective of its progress, people and standard of life and in the efforts of development.

Necessity to keep population limited for alleviating poverty and attain socioeconomic progress is recognized by all today, he told the function.

He mentioned that the population would stand at 17.20 crore in 2020 and rise to 21 crore in 2060 though it might be possible to bring down the replacement worthy population fertility to targeted 1 by the year 2010.

Presently, the rate of population growth is 1.43 percent with almost 953 people living in a square kilometer area.

Dr Fakhruddin said this increase of the population would aggravate the present crisis of meeting fundamental demands including education, food and health.

To save the future generation from such situation, the country would have to quickly reduce population growth and also have to build up skilled manpower keeping the population limited, he added.

The Chief Adviser called for putting highest contributions en masse and to untiedly build up a developed Bangladesh with a tolerable population.