Poverty reduction: A challenge
Naomi & Chobida, Dept of Law, DU
Though the government is claming their success in the reduction of poverty, yet it is a fact that 24% of the total population is living in abject poverty. In the last decade there were some positive changes in our country but unfortunately the lots of these poor people have not changed much. They have remained poor for a long, long time. Poverty as an agenda occupies the national discourse during the time of election or in the budget making session. Though poverty alleviation takes some place in the manifesto of political parties but it only gets lip service excluding a definite roadmap to alleviate it. Thus, the policy makers and politicians always ignore the poor. It has been revealed from a study that bout 24 percent of the total population currently live in extreme poverty with 19 percent of the rural households going without three meals a day and 10 percent subsisting on two meals. Nowadays we do not hear about famine but the fact that a significant portion of our population is passing their days with hunger is really a matter of great regret. Moreover, the income gap between the poor and rich is very wide and it is extending day by day. Due to the inequality in the distribution of wealth, the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. Though our GDP growth has increased but its outcome is yet to reach to the poor. Therefore, if we want to gauge the poverty situation in Bangladesh through the index of economy the proper picture may not be revealed. In this situation, our policy makers should pay heed to changing the lot of these poor people. A programme like VGF is not enough. The public and private organisations should work hand in hand to increase job opportunities in the rural areas. In this regard, I must mention the work of Grameen Bank and the contribution of Dr. Yunus to alleviation of poverty, which has received a worldwide acceptance. We must not only praise Dr. Yunus for winning the Noble Prize but should also be inspired to think up something creative and dynamic like him to uproot this problem tree. There is a proverb: "Don't give a man a fish but teach him how to catch fish". That's exactly what Dr Yunus did. Only giving some money to the poor cannot solve their problems. We must manage permanent sources of income for them through which they can earn their livelihood. Dependence on different organisation like IMF, World Bank or UN is the main reason for our failure in alleviation of poverty. We always expect someone coming like the prince of a fairy tale to solve our problems. But it is quite absurd. We are the ones who can shape our future and the best way to shape it is to work hard.
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