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Population control in BD

30 January 2006, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Mahbubur Rahman , Marshfield, USA
30 January 2006, 18:00 PM
The Daily Star has been covering many important social issues related to BD. Unfortunately, up until now, this paper has not widely covered one very important issue, which is population control in Bangladesh. Unless we do massive population control, I think our problems won't be solved. Enough is enough, 140 million is already too much to bear, an additional 20-30 million would break up all the social fabrics of our country. If we want to live in a peaceful way, we have to stop at this point. Otherwise, whatever industrialisation we do, we won't be able to create 1.5 million jobs every year. It is totally impossible. There will be Monga every year.

Educated class is a bit convinced now, while the lower class and rural people are not. I think every conscious man or woman should act as an advisor for illiterate people. It should be our duty. Many of the slum-dwelling boys would become criminals if they don't get education and proper family care. And you know it would be possible for the NGOs and the govt to arrange some sort of education if the number of child is limited to only one. We have to convince our nearby slum families to have two or less kids for our betterment, I mean for our safety. Otherwise, our kids will be the ultimate prey of hundreds of future Kala Jahangirs. Many rickshaw pullers and urban and rural poor marry here and there, and in this way they are increasing population, too. Would you please touch this issue seriously on behalf of your newspaper?

The following points are relevant.

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1. Fertility rate is 3 in BD, and it has been static for the last few years. It should be 2 to turn the BD population to a replacement level (2 kids per family). A massive awareness campaign is needed through mosque Imams, school teachers, community leaders (union members, chairman, local MPs and ministers).

2. All political leaders, after their public speech, should show their 2 fingers for 2 kids and talk something on it.

3. A TV ad mentioning that after 10-15 years we will lose our 25% farming land for population growth could be breath-holding for many. We need to convince people that we cannot feed our children when we are losing our farmland day by day due to overpopulation.