The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE World Population Day was observed on Wednesday. Unlike many other countries of the world, the size of the population or its growth rate has special significance for land short Bangladesh with its limited resources. Besides, an overpopulated country already would be in greater peril. This points to the very urgent need to reduce the population growth effectively. Even at the present growth rate at 1.48 per cent which is claimed officially, the population would bloat to 180 million only twelve years from now and to 280 million by the year 2085. But such a huge population would be simply unsustainable in all respects.

The big population and its still unbridled growth is putting very great stress on every sector such as housing, education, health and employment. For example, the unemployment situation could be better handled if the population growth rate was substantially lower. Under the present growth rate and the rise in the number of young ones and their fast becoming eligible for jobs, some 50 million young Bangladeshis could be looking for work by the year 2015.

Thus, it is imperative to better control the population growth rate. A big population need not be a burden if the members of it can be well trained and become productive. But even after admitting this, there is a limit beyond which a country should not allow its population to grow for the mismatch between resources available to meet their needs. Bangladesh appears to be headed fast towards this risk zone which creates the compulsion to control its population growth with greater effectiveness. Clearly, the officially run population control programme needs to be revamped to achieve planned targets by infusing the motivation needed for this in the people and making the support services available to them.