Bangladesh desires greater cooperation with Pakistan

[Bengal71]

lets coem on topic

bangladesh (indian state) desires cooperation with paksitan
answer - paksitan did not cooperate with Indian states but central gov of Delhi . as we respect Indian sovereignty for us UP BIHAR WESTBENGAL KERALA BANGLADESH ASSAM PUNJAB all are respective indian states .


economy can save you from BSF every month they kill your people and your forces busy to earn UN money ? bangladesh is a dirt poor least developed more extrema poverty then any south asian country all i know

Whatever floats your boat.

We don't desire anything of that sort with you, it's just diplomatic talk by a diplomat, don't read too much into it.

 

[Kambojaric]

Pakistan may be 5 times larger, but most of it is fallow land you can't grow anything on, much less live on. The term is 'arable land ratio per population density'.

Arable land ratio in Bangladesh is far larger a number. As there is plenty of rain and irrigation.

But more importantly, agriculture should not be the focus anyhow. It is rate of education, or what you utilize your skills on once you ARE educated to add value to the world economy.

Ratio is insignificant when one takes into account that despite roughly similar population sizes, the amount of arable land in Pakistan is around four times that of Bangladesh. (refer to World Bank chart below). The sheer size of Pakistan as compared to Bangladesh means that despite a lower ratio the amount of actual land available to grow crops on and sustain the domestic populace is much higher in Pakistan.

Also the bulk of arable land in Pakistan is in the Punjab (i.e. far away from the sea). The parts of Pakistan that are under threat of going under water as per National Geographic are fringe regions like Tharparkar and other desert regions of Sindh. Cannot say the same for Bangladesh.

http://likeat.me/wp-content/uploads...-and-within-animated-map-shows-us-earth-s.jpg

The Punjab canal system relies on water coming from the rivers originating in or passing through Kashmir, hence why Pakistan has to maintain some level of armed parity with India. Bangladesh is trying to adopt the diplomatic method with India as far as water sharing and control is concerned. I wont judge Bangladesh for this as Hasina is doing what she thinks is best for her country. But from a Pakistani point of view this method has little sympathy.

Also Pakistan has started diverting water from Punjab to Balochistan, to turn Balochistan green (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachhi_Canal_Project). Initial stages of this project are nearing or have been completed. Agricultural land will as such gradually become available in Balochistan as well.

 

[Rusty]

Pakistan has a different way I believe for prostitution. Husband can make wife naked for their employee to enjoy!!

really?
Can you cite me the law?

 

[hussain0216]

Have some shame, you Pakistani posters. On a thread created to foster goodwill between the two countries, all i can see their posters doing is deriding Bangladesh's progress, stir up irrelevant stuffs and making fun of them. Not one Pakistani individual here hailing the initiative. Well, and then they wonder why Bangladesh is a friend of India.

How can we be friends?????
Why would we want to?

Your traitors, you chose ethnic nationalism and allied with a enemy of muslims to divide us

And now you want to be friends? Get out of here and stop wasting our time

 

[Black_cats]

SHOCKING

One in five of Pakistan’s more than 200 million people are malnourished

In Sindh, millions survive on less than $1 a day

Published: March 24, 2019 17:20AFP

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pak...00-million-people-are-malnourished-1.62882527

Nazeeran, a 25-year mother, holds her baby girl at Mithi Civil Hospital in Mithi, a remote town in southern Pakistan.Image Credit: AFP
Karachi: A frantic mother cradling her seven-month-old baby rushes towards the special paediatric ward in a desolate Pakistan town, his eyes are blank and he is smaller than most newborns.

He is starving in a country that has no shortage of food, but which has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and where malnutrition is rife.

The infant weighs just 2.5kg — the average for a healthy child of that age is almost three times that.

His case is not unique for the doctors at the Mithi Civil Hospital in hunger-stricken Sindh province where millions survive on less than $1 a day.

In this picture taken on May 25, 2018, a Pakistani mother holds her baby girl at Mithi Civil Hospital in Mithi, a remote town in southern Pakistan.Image Credit: AFP
Of the 150-250 patients who come in each day, roughly one fifth are suffering from malnutrition, Dr Dilip Kumar, head of the paediatric department, tells AFP.

Inside the ward, nine other malnourished infants are crying inside glass incubators. A young mother, Nazeeran, clutches the hand of her toddler.

“Her weight is dropping, even though we consulted many doctors,” the 25-year-old says.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a poverty and hunger watchdog, estimates around one in five of Pakistan’s more than 200 million people are malnourished.

And yet, the nation is not short of food — in fact, according to the US Department of Agriculture, it is projected to export 500,000 tons of wheat from May 2018 until April 2019, and 7.4 million tons of rice in the same period.

Dawn, the English-language daily newspaper, even reported a potato glut earlier this month.

Extreme deprivation
The issues, experts say, are socioeconomic — that is, just because food is available, does not mean people can access it.

“There are four key pillars of food security in Pakistan: The first is availability, then accessibility, utilisation and stability,” says Dr Ambreen Fatima, senior research economist at the Applied Economic Research Centre of the Karachi University.

In Tharparkar, where Mithi Civil Hospital is, all four are lacking, she explains, adding that in other parts of the country they are present only to varying degrees.

In our surveys we came across the kids who had never eaten an apple, and when we offered him an apple he was reluctant to take the bite wondering whether it was an edible thing or not.
- Dr Kaiser Bengali, a veteran economist
“Pakistan is quite well off in wheat production,” comments Dr Kaiser Bengali, a veteran economist, who has done field research on poverty and hunger in the country, but adds that much of it is sold for export.

This means ordinary people in the country may not have access to it, and if they do they may not have the resources to pay for it.

“Affordability is the biggest challenge here in Pakistan,” he says.

Karachi is Pakistan’s financial capital, but Bengali says he has seen alarming examples of poverty and deprivation there.

“In our surveys we came across the kids who had never eaten an apple, and when we offered him an apple he was reluctant to take the bite wondering whether it was an edible thing or not,” Bengali reveals.

“In another case a family had never had eggs in their whole lives,” he adds.

A survey of the state-run Planning Division in 2017 found that 40 per cent of Pakistan’s population lives in multi-dimensional poverty.

That means they are not just short of money, but are also facing a shortage of basic needs, including health, clean water, and electricity, among other factors — all of which can impact their access to food.

Cycle of malnutrition
“Poor physical infrastructure, particularly in the remote rural areas throughout Pakistan is also a limitation on access to food and influences market prices,” according to a recent statement from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“This is also linked to inadequate water and sanitation, education and health service delivery, which together with the lack of awareness of appropriate dietary intake contributes to greater food insecurity and malnutrition.”

Causes of malnutrition are multiple pregnancies, young-aged marriage, iron deficiency in mothers, (lack) of breastfeeding, weak immunisation, and early weaning
- Dr Dilip Kumar
Tharparkar district is frequently highlighted in Pakistan’s media because of its high rate of child deaths, with politicians blaming the situation on drought — but economists and physicians say that is not the sole explanation.

“Causes of malnutrition are multiple pregnancies, young-aged marriage, iron deficiency in mothers, (lack) of breastfeeding, weak immunisation, and early weaning,” Dr Kumar insists.

Bearing large numbers of children from a young age takes its toll on women’s health, but also impacts the well-being of the foetus and ability to breastfeed a newborn.

In Pakistan, only 38 per cent of babies are fed breast milk exclusively during their first six months in line with UN recommendations.

This low figure is blamed on local traditions, the heavy workloads of mothers and powerful marketing by the milk industry.

Many mothers are told to feed their newborns tea, herbs, which can stunt growth. Some are unnecessarily persuaded to use formula instead of breastmilk by doctors.

This can introduce health problems if the water use to make it is unclean, or if poor families scrimp on the amount of powder to create the drink.

Sindh’s high number of child deaths are the result of a vicious poverty cycle that begins with malnourished mothers, agrees Bengali.

He adds: “An infant is not fed with wheat or solid food.”

MORE FROM PAKISTAN

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

These people are like village illiterate, radical and extremist. No wonder why known as terrorist country in the world.

See this kind of wild animal these people are!!!

Husband and employees allegedly strip woman naked, beat her over refusal to dance for them
Wasim RiazUpdated March 27, 2019
https://www.dawn.com/news/1472209

According to a first information report registered on March 26, Asma Aziz's husband of four years and two of his employees tortured her over her refusal to dance for them. Photo: Twitter

Police arrested two men in Lahore on Wednesday for their alleged torture of one suspect's wife over her refusal to dance for them.

According to a first information report registered on March 26, Asma Aziz's husband of four years and two of his employees tortured her over her refusal to dance for them. The Punjab police in statement said the incident had taken place in the city's Defence Housing Authority area.

Asma, in a video circulating on social media, claimed that her husband had "always hit her a lot".

Some readers may find the video embedded below distressing.




Javeria Siddique

✔@javerias

عاصمہ عزیز لاہور کی رہائشی شوہر نے بدترین تشدد کیا جب تھانے گئ تو پولیس والے پیسے مانگتے رہے #شرمناک


6,708
4:43 AM - Mar 27, 2019

4,585 people are talking about this

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This time, she alleged, "He took my clothes off in front of his employees. The employees held me as he shaved my hair off and burned it. My clothes were bloody. I was bound by a pipe and hung from the fan. He threatened to hang me naked."

She said that when she went to the Kahna police station to register a complaint, "they asked me for money". She added that the police had, instead of providing her the FIR number or conducting a medical examination, asked her for money.

Superintendent Model Town Muhammd Ali Wasim took notice of Asma's allegations of police officials' involvement in trying to extort money from her. He asked the DSP Model Town to provide him a report after looking into the allegations.

She appealed to people for help, claiming that both her parents were dead and she had no place to go or food to eat.

In-charge Investigation at Kahna police station, Saleem Shaukat, told DawnNewsTV today that two of the suspects ─ the husband and one of his employees ─ had been arrested.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Amjad Javed Saleemi took notice of the incident and ordered a thorough investigation, directing DIG Investigation Dr Inam Waheed to personally investigate the matter and to make sure that the perpetrators of the attack are punished severely under the law.

After the news was reported, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari tweeted that she had taken notice and looked into the case. "My office was informed by station house officer of police station Kahna, Lahore: Police has registered FIR and arrested both accused and booked under sections 337(v) and 506. Medical report of the woman is awaited. One of the arrested is her husband."



Shireen Mazari

✔@ShireenMazari1

Took notice and chkd - my office was informed by SHO PS Kahna Lahore: Police has registered FIR and arrested both accused & booked under sections 337-v and 506. Medical report of the woman is awaited. One of the arrested is Faisal her husband


4,866
7:45 AM - Mar 27, 2019

1,928 people are talking about this

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Pakistan ranks 150 out of 153 countries on The Georgetown Institute's Women, Peace and Security index ─ among the five worst countries for women in the world. According to 2016 data, 26.8 per cent of Pakistani women said they have experienced intimate partner violence.

A criminal case ? Really?

Would this suffice now?

How bout this mass murdering trafficker

 

[Rusty]

Lol... you are like that naked boy ... who has been made naked, spanked at the ***, crying on street... still will claim no I am better...poor Pakistanis

For more information...

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/bangladesh-vs-pakistan-a-tale-of-two-economies.610226/

Again, not a single Pakistani here is calling you a liar. We know and are happy for Bengali GDP.
Our only question is why only focus on GDP? what about poverty level? Can you find the poverty level of Pakistan vs Bangladesh?
or how about happiness index?
Prostitution index?

 

[Black_cats]

really?
Can you cite me the law?

Do you need any law in Pakistan? It's a place where anyone can do whatever they want specially to woman who are nothing more than child producing machine and to be exploited by man.

 

[Imran Khan]

When even latest figure is showing 39% of Pakistanis are living below poverty line this delusional Pakistanis are in denial mode where as Bangladesh is on it's way to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030.

https://dailytimes.com.pk/370401/can-world-poverty-end-by-2030/
The available statistics on poverty in Pakistan give a bleak picture. It is estimated that around 39 percent of people are living below the poverty line



Dude instead of showing us bridge and road feed your stunned children of Punjab. Do some meaningful task which helps the poor instead of taking showcase projects.

Can Bangladesh eliminate extreme poverty by FY2031?

Analysts think better access to microcredit and social protection programmes may help reduce poverty on a sustainable basis. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
">

Analysts think better access to microcredit and social protection programmes may help reduce poverty on a sustainable basis. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
Sadiq Ahmed
Bangladesh has set an ambitious target to eliminate extreme poverty by FY2031. The results of the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey done in 2016 (HIES 2016) suggest that this is a feasible target but by no means assured. HIES 2016 shows that moderate poverty (percent of population below the Upper Poverty Line or UPL) has fallen from 31.5 percent in 2010 to 24.3 percent in 2016, while extreme poverty (percent of population below the Lower Poverty Line or LPL) has declined from 17.6 percent to 12.9 percent over the same periods.

Research shows that several factors have contributed to continued progress with poverty reduction in Bangladesh including rapid economic growth, public spending on health, education, social protection and infrastructure, rapid inflow of external remittances and expansion of micro-credit programmes. Continued progress on these fronts will be important for further poverty reduction.

These research findings have been internalised in the government's poverty reduction strategy and related policymaking. But there is one major policy gap that has not received adequate attention. Research shows that poverty and the population's vulnerability to natural disasters are positively correlated. Those falling in the extreme poverty group are most susceptible to natural disasters owing to the absence of adequate coping mechanisms. Yet, policy progress with reducing the vulnerability of the poor to natural disasters has been weak. Continued neglect of this aspect of poverty strategy could jeopardise the government's ability to eliminate extreme poverty by FY2031.

The importance of this policy challenge is well illustrated by the results of HIES 2016. District level data indicates that the poverty reduction progress has been highly uneven. The chart shows that the top 10 poorest districts of Bangladesh have poverty incidence ranging from 70 percent to 42 percent (based on UPL) as compared with the average poverty incidence of 24.3 percent. Indeed, the poverty gap between the poorest district (Kurigram with 70 percent poverty rate) and the least poor district (Narayanganj with a poverty rate of only 2.6 percent) is astounding.

A 70 percent poverty incidence found in Kurigram even after 45 years of independence is truly worrisome. A deeper analysis of the determinants of these large spatial variations in poverty incidence must be done to inform policymaking. An important factor is the role of geography and exposure to natural disasters. Kurigram is an extreme example of this. Year after year Kurigram suffers from massive flooding from the overflow of the Brahmaputra river. It is little comfort to give the exposed population annual dose of relief supplies, small financial handouts, access to microcredits and better toilet facilities. Unless a permanent solution to the river flooding problem can be found, Kurigram will continue to show high poverty and thwart the government's efforts to eliminate extreme poverty.

More generally, the location map of the top 10 poorest districts shows that they are either a part of the Barind Tract area of North-West Bangladesh (Dinajpur and Rangpur) or a part of the river and estuary belt (Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Magura and Kishoreganj). Because of location, they face a range of vulnerabilities presented by river-flooding and water-logging in the monsoon and water shortages in the fall and winter dry seasons. The remaining two (Bandarban and Khagrachhari) are a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts with little access to usable water combined with difficult land terrain and episodes of flash flooding and land-slides from water runoffs. The environmental problems are compounded by over-exploitation of ground water and deforestation.

All these districts are heavily dependent upon agriculture for livelihood that makes them so much more vulnerable to river flooding, flash floods, water logging, soil erosion and water shortages. Without a sea change in the poverty reduction strategy that is targeted to benefit these districts through specific interventions to reduce the vulnerabilities imposed by geography, natural disasters and climate change, there is a huge risk that these districts will not benefit in a sustained manner from the current poverty reduction strategy and will continue to be left behind as presently. This will likely compromise the government's ability to eliminate extreme poverty by FY2031.

What is the way out? The adoption of the government's Delta Plan 2100 (BDP 2100) will be a major step forward. The BDP 2100 identifies the major sources of vulnerability of the population of Bangladesh to geography, natural disasters and climate change and seeks to address these vulnerabilities at source through a well-thought strategy comprising policies, regulations, institutions and investment programmes.

If the government is serious about eliminating extreme poverty by FY2031 it must move speedily to adopt the BDP 2100 and initiate its implementation.

Tinkering at the margin in these districts with small scale safety net or micro-credit programmes will likely be a wasteful use of resources when measured against sustained long-term impact. Sources of vulnerabilities must be addressed to achieve sustained progress with poverty reduction and this will involve large scale public investments in flood control, river training, irrigation, water storage, piped water supply and proper operations and maintenance (O&M) practices.

Degradation of land and underground water resources from deforestation, soil erosion and over-exploitation of ground water must be checked and reversed through regulations, investments and sustainable cropping practices. Institutions must be established and cost recovery policies instituted to ensure participation of beneficiaries in policymaking, adoption of correct O&M practices and sustainable financing of investments. Production diversification must be ensured to create off-farm jobs in small scale manufacturing, transport, trade and other services. Improving access to international migration will be helpful by increasing the income base of the vulnerable families.

Better access to microcredit and social protection programmes will also help reduce poverty on a sustainable basis provided these interventions are a part of the broader strategy that seeks to reduce poverty by addressing vulnerabilities at the source.





The writer is vice-chairman of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh. He can be reached at sadiqahmed1952@gmail.com.

 

[namefield_empty]

How can we be friends?????
Why would we want to?

Your traitors, you chose ethnic nationalism and allied with a enemy of muslims to divide us

And now you want to be friends? Get out of here and stop wasting our time

You are still sucking on the sour lemon, hasn't it got bitter already?

 

[Rusty]

Do you need any law in Pakistan? It's a place where anyone can do whatever they want specially to woman who are nothing more than child producing machine and to be exploited by man.

... so your answer to legalized prostitution is... but but but this one girl in Pakistan... bad thing happened to her.

Honestly, it's like talking to a child. Okay muna, bad things happen to people everywhere including Bangladesh. But he happy you are Bengali because once you grow older you can legally go get a prostitute. And don't worry about money, Bangladesh GDP is supa dupa pawa level. You can buy all the prostitutes you want.

I can also find a million articles of bad things happening to women in Bangladesh. But I am smart enough to know that that is not legal and those people are criminals in Bangladesh.

 

[Umar Nazir]

Historical blunder will never let Bangladesh having good relation with Pakistan but we can have some diplomatic relation if only Pakistan formally apologize for 1971 genocide but it will never do because if does then there will be lot of aftermath. Internationally Pakistan will lose credibility as a nation if it agrees that at one time it did genocide to a whole ethnic group of their own country which it will never do.

Then Bangladesh will demand compensation for the loses in the war and the exploitation before. Pakistan will need billions which is impossible to give for a nation like Pakistan which take aid from Saudi Arabia to run its own nation.

If these two factors are even solved then Bangladeshis will think about improving relation but fact is our political history is based on hatred for Pakistan. So there would always be unease with Pakistan. Bengali intellectuals will also never let Bangladesh to have friendship with Pakistan because of past bloody war and the consequences of the war.

Its not about India but Bangladesh history is such that having close relation with Pakistan will never happen.

What about the genocide of non Bangali Muslims , more than 5 lakh Bihari Muslims were killed by Mukhti Bahni and thousand of women were raped by india supported Mukhti Bahni in 1971. If apology is so important for Bangladesh than , Bangladesh should apologize formally from Pakistan. Remember Pakistan was not occupied force in east Pakistan, U bangali join Pakistan as per ur own wishes, no one force u for that in 1947

Currently we dont care for any relation with Bangladesh, infact no one talk about Bangaldesh any more in Pakistan. But u people should remember its Mr. Jinnah due to which East bangal get independence from India in 1947 and later become Bangladesh. Without Mr. Jinnah , U people would have been still in the slavery of hindues in united India

 

[Imran Khan]

When these dirt poor Pakistanis can't even feed it's children where 1/3 of children of Punjab are stunned these delusional idiot is posting old pictures of Bangladesh and doing chest thumbing. I have never seen such a shameless person in my life.

Every third child under five is stunted in Punjab, says survey
Mansoor MalikUpdated March 29, 2019
https://www.dawn.com/news/1472500/every-third-child-under-five-is-stunted-in-punjab-says-survey

The report tells that stunting is higher in rural population (34.3 per cent) compared to 26pc in urban population.— Photo courtesy of Zofeen T. Ebrahim

LAHORE: Almost every third child under five years of age is stunted in Punjab – with a majority of them in 11 districts of southern Punjab, reveals the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) 2018 report.

Children living in the slums of Bangladesh face risks from unsafe food and water and stunted growth is common
Ishita Mostafa, 1 Nurun Nahar Naila, 1 Mustafa Mahfuz, 1 Manoj Roy, 2 Abu S.G. Faruque,

1 and Tahmeed Ahmed 1
Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer
Go to:
Abstract
Aim
This study investigated the microbial quality of food and water consumed by children in four slums in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, together with the associated risk factors.

Methods
This cross‐sectional study took place from December 2015 to May 2016 and focused on 360 children under the age of five. We recorded household food security, namely adequate food for a healthy life, socio‐economic and nutritional status, hygiene and feeding practices. Food and water samples were analysed.

Results
We found that 63% of the children were malnourished and 58% were stunted. Yeast and moulds were detected in 86% of the food samples and coliforms in 73%. All the water samples were contaminated with faecal coliforms, yeasts and moulds and Staphylococcus. Food insecurity affected 83% of households. Children were twice as likely to be malnourished if they were born with a perceived low birthweight or their mothers did not wash their hands with soap after cleaning the child's bottom following defecation. Exclusively breastfed children were less likely to develop malnutrition.

Conclusion
Children from the Dhaka slums were frequently stunted and malnourished and contaminated food and water was common. Integrated efforts are essential to create public awareness about hygiene.

Keywords: Contaminated water, Food security, Hygiene practices, Malnutrition, Stunted growth

 

[Umar Nazir]

We wont apologize for something that never happened.

it even rubbish to talk about bloody apology. we were not occupied force in Dhaka, Bangali joined us as per their own wish in 1947

 

[Black_cats]

Can Bangladesh eliminate extreme poverty by FY2031?

Analysts think better access to microcredit and social protection programmes may help reduce poverty on a sustainable basis. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
">

Analysts think better access to microcredit and social protection programmes may help reduce poverty on a sustainable basis. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
Sadiq Ahmed
Bangladesh has set an ambitious target to eliminate extreme poverty by FY2031. The results of the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey done in 2016 (HIES 2016) suggest that this is a feasible target but by no means assured. HIES 2016 shows that moderate poverty (percent of population below the Upper Poverty Line or UPL) has fallen from 31.5 percent in 2010 to 24.3 percent in 2016, while extreme poverty (percent of population below the Lower Poverty Line or LPL) has declined from 17.6 percent to 12.9 percent over the same periods.

Research shows that several factors have contributed to continued progress with poverty reduction in Bangladesh including rapid economic growth, public spending on health, education, social protection and infrastructure, rapid inflow of external remittances and expansion of micro-credit programmes. Continued progress on these fronts will be important for further poverty reduction.

These research findings have been internalised in the government's poverty reduction strategy and related policymaking. But there is one major policy gap that has not received adequate attention. Research shows that poverty and the population's vulnerability to natural disasters are positively correlated. Those falling in the extreme poverty group are most susceptible to natural disasters owing to the absence of adequate coping mechanisms. Yet, policy progress with reducing the vulnerability of the poor to natural disasters has been weak. Continued neglect of this aspect of poverty strategy could jeopardise the government's ability to eliminate extreme poverty by FY2031.

The importance of this policy challenge is well illustrated by the results of HIES 2016. District level data indicates that the poverty reduction progress has been highly uneven. The chart shows that the top 10 poorest districts of Bangladesh have poverty incidence ranging from 70 percent to 42 percent (based on UPL) as compared with the average poverty incidence of 24.3 percent. Indeed, the poverty gap between the poorest district (Kurigram with 70 percent poverty rate) and the least poor district (Narayanganj with a poverty rate of only 2.6 percent) is astounding.

A 70 percent poverty incidence found in Kurigram even after 45 years of independence is truly worrisome. A deeper analysis of the determinants of these large spatial variations in poverty incidence must be done to inform policymaking. An important factor is the role of geography and exposure to natural disasters. Kurigram is an extreme example of this. Year after year Kurigram suffers from massive flooding from the overflow of the Brahmaputra river. It is little comfort to give the exposed population annual dose of relief supplies, small financial handouts, access to microcredits and better toilet facilities. Unless a permanent solution to the river flooding problem can be found, Kurigram will continue to show high poverty and thwart the government's efforts to eliminate extreme poverty.

More generally, the location map of the top 10 poorest districts shows that they are either a part of the Barind Tract area of North-West Bangladesh (Dinajpur and Rangpur) or a part of the river and estuary belt (Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Magura and Kishoreganj). Because of location, they face a range of vulnerabilities presented by river-flooding and water-logging in the monsoon and water shortages in the fall and winter dry seasons. The remaining two (Bandarban and Khagrachhari) are a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts with little access to usable water combined with difficult land terrain and episodes of flash flooding and land-slides from water runoffs. The environmental problems are compounded by over-exploitation of ground water and deforestation.

All these districts are heavily dependent upon agriculture for livelihood that makes them so much more vulnerable to river flooding, flash floods, water logging, soil erosion and water shortages. Without a sea change in the poverty reduction strategy that is targeted to benefit these districts through specific interventions to reduce the vulnerabilities imposed by geography, natural disasters and climate change, there is a huge risk that these districts will not benefit in a sustained manner from the current poverty reduction strategy and will continue to be left behind as presently. This will likely compromise the government's ability to eliminate extreme poverty by FY2031.

What is the way out? The adoption of the government's Delta Plan 2100 (BDP 2100) will be a major step forward. The BDP 2100 identifies the major sources of vulnerability of the population of Bangladesh to geography, natural disasters and climate change and seeks to address these vulnerabilities at source through a well-thought strategy comprising policies, regulations, institutions and investment programmes.

If the government is serious about eliminating extreme poverty by FY2031 it must move speedily to adopt the BDP 2100 and initiate its implementation.

Tinkering at the margin in these districts with small scale safety net or micro-credit programmes will likely be a wasteful use of resources when measured against sustained long-term impact. Sources of vulnerabilities must be addressed to achieve sustained progress with poverty reduction and this will involve large scale public investments in flood control, river training, irrigation, water storage, piped water supply and proper operations and maintenance (O&M) practices.

Degradation of land and underground water resources from deforestation, soil erosion and over-exploitation of ground water must be checked and reversed through regulations, investments and sustainable cropping practices. Institutions must be established and cost recovery policies instituted to ensure participation of beneficiaries in policymaking, adoption of correct O&M practices and sustainable financing of investments. Production diversification must be ensured to create off-farm jobs in small scale manufacturing, transport, trade and other services. Improving access to international migration will be helpful by increasing the income base of the vulnerable families.

Better access to microcredit and social protection programmes will also help reduce poverty on a sustainable basis provided these interventions are a part of the broader strategy that seeks to reduce poverty by addressing vulnerabilities at the source.





The writer is vice-chairman of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh. He can be reached at sadiqahmed1952@gmail.com.

Did you read what the article says? lol

Children living in the slums of Bangladesh face risks from unsafe food and water and stunted growth is common
Ishita Mostafa, 1 Nurun Nahar Naila, 1 Mustafa Mahfuz, 1 Manoj Roy, 2 Abu S.G. Faruque,

1 and Tahmeed Ahmed 1
Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer
Go to:
Abstract
Aim
This study investigated the microbial quality of food and water consumed by children in four slums in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, together with the associated risk factors.

Methods
This cross‐sectional study took place from December 2015 to May 2016 and focused on 360 children under the age of five. We recorded household food security, namely adequate food for a healthy life, socio‐economic and nutritional status, hygiene and feeding practices. Food and water samples were analysed.

Results
We found that 63% of the children were malnourished and 58% were stunted. Yeast and moulds were detected in 86% of the food samples and coliforms in 73%. All the water samples were contaminated with faecal coliforms, yeasts and moulds and Staphylococcus. Food insecurity affected 83% of households. Children were twice as likely to be malnourished if they were born with a perceived low birthweight or their mothers did not wash their hands with soap after cleaning the child's bottom following defecation. Exclusively breastfed children were less likely to develop malnutrition.

Conclusion
Children from the Dhaka slums were frequently stunted and malnourished and contaminated food and water was common. Integrated efforts are essential to create public awareness about hygiene.

Keywords: Contaminated water, Food security, Hygiene practices, Malnutrition, Stunted growth

lol you are quoting 4-5 year old study?