National
Poverty Rate in the Country Drops Over 5% reports BBS
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) released its Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022 report, revealing significant advancements in the country’s socioeconomic landscape. The HIES 2022, marked by improved data collection methodologies, unveiled a substantial rise in the average monthly income, soaring to Tk. 32,422 in 2022 from Tk. 15,988 in 2016 and Tk. 11,479 in 2010.
Key Highlights:
Enhanced Living Standards: The data showcased a remarkable improvement in household living standards. Access to electricity surged to 99.3%, literacy rates rose to 74.0%, and 92.3% of households now have improved toilet facilities.
Income Growth: Average monthly household income witnessed a substantial increase, reflecting economic progress. The nominal income escalated from Tk. 15,988 in 2016 to Tk. 32,422 in 2022.
Expenditure Patterns: Total monthly household expenditure also increased, reaching Tk. 31,500 in 2022 from Tk. 15,715 in 2016. Non-food expenditures gradually rose, constituting 54.2% of total expenses in 2022.
Changing Consumption Patterns: The report highlighted a shift in consumption patterns, with average rice consumption decreasing, while vegetable and meat consumption increased. The average protein intake rose to 72.5 grams per person per day in 2022.
Poverty Reduction: Notably, poverty rates exhibited a significant decline. Using the upper poverty line, the headcount rate dropped to 18.7% in 2022 from 24.3% in 2016. Extreme poverty, using the lower poverty line, saw a remarkable decrease to 5.6% in 2022 from 12.9% in 2016.
Regional Disparities: Barishal Division reported the highest headcount rates in 2022, emphasizing regional disparities in poverty. Dhaka exhibited the lowest headcount rates among divisions.
Income Inequality: The Gini coefficient indicated a dispersion in income inequality, rising to 0.499 at the national level in 2022 from 0.482 in 2016. Urban areas experienced a more substantial increase than rural areas.
Financial Inclusion: Household financial inclusion demonstrated improvement, with 14.1% of households reporting at least one member opening a bank account in the last 12 months.
Social Security Programs: The coverage of Social Security Programs (SSP) significantly increased, encompassing 37.6% of households and 50.0% of SSP beneficiaries in HIES 2022.
Gender Dynamics: The data revealed a dominance of female labor force engagement in the non-agriculture sector in urban areas, highlighting evolving gender roles.
Food Security: The report indicated that 21.11% of the population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, with a higher prevalence in rural areas compared to urban areas.
The HIES 2022 report signifies Bangladesh’s substantial progress in various socioeconomic indicators, illustrating a positive trajectory towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
