URBANIZATION IN BANGLADESH PRESENT STATUS AND EMERGING CHALLENGES BY AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, MPH STUDENT GROUP ASSESSMENT 2015-2016

1. URBANIZATION IN BANGLADESH
PRESENT STATUS AND EMERGING
CHALLENGES
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY,
DHAKA, BANGLADESH
2015-2016

2. PRESENTORS
• DEEWAN MUSNAD
• MONYMOY CHAKMA
• PRADEEP CHALISE
• SANGITA BATAJ00
• H.M.ZAFOR
• SAIKAT SAHA
• KRIPA SHRESTHA

3. INTRODUCTION
 Urbanization generally refers to a process in
which an increasing proportion of an entire
population lives in cities and surrounding of cities.
 Urbanization, migration and development are
inter-linked. The relationships are a two-way
phenomenon.
With each pair one variable may be the cause as
well as the effect of the other.

4. The growing difference in living standards between
the slum inhabitant on one side and well to do urban
elites on other may lead to increased social and
political instability.
According to an estimate, In 2020, nearly every other
man, woman and child will live in an urban area
(World Bank Bangladesh).
However, with a proper strategy for growth and
employment, this can give rise for job creation in the
non-farm sector and thus absorb surplus labor force
generating in the agricultural sector

5. LITERATURE REVIEW
Information from various sources of credible reports
including the National and International Organizations were
collected
Urbanization in Bangladesh
 Rapid urbanization in Bangladesh, maybe uncountable in a
situation of globalise market economy without a national system
having minimum control over the development process.
 The violent of development and inequality is not to be easily
resolved in our existing political, social and economic system.
 In 1991 census estimate, 22% of the country's population is

6. The Urbanization Process
 Bangladesh is the world’s seventh most populated
country and also one of most the densest.
 The population of the country is not likely to stabilize or
begin to decline before, possibly, 2060 when it might be
230 million, with more than 70 % being urban.
Urbanization Status

7. 2.2 Level of Urbanization in Bangladesh
2011
 In 1961, slightly more than 5% of the
population lived in the urban areas.
 According to the 1991 census estimate,
22% of the country's population is urban.
 Nearly 50 % of the national urban
population happens to be concentrated
four metropolitan cities: Dhaka,
Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi
Note: In the UNDP 2015 projection Dhaka with 21.1 millions is considered
as the fourth megalopolis of the planet, after Tokyo and Mumbai (26.1 mill.)
and Lagos (22.3 mill.).

8. Current Scenario of Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s urban population has been growing at
a yearly average rate of 6 percent since
independence, at a time when the national
population growth was 2.2 percent.
 As a result, urban population has grown six-fold,
compared with a 70 percent increase in rural
population.
As UN data, approximately 25 percent of
Bangladesh’s current population currently lives in
urban areas. Of this urban population, more than
half lives in the four largest cities: Dhaka, Chittagong,
Khulna and Rajshahi.

9. rapid migration is causing Dhaka’s population to
grow much faster than the rest of the country.
The population density is now believed to have
reached around 34000 people per square kilometer,
making Dhaka amongst the most densely populated
city in the world.
 All major cities in South Asia are facing similar
problems:
 poverty, deplorable condition of slums, corruption
and inefficiency in service delivery, weak governance
and poor finances

10. Urban Migration and Population Growth
in Dhaka City
 The total urban area of Dhaka spans about 1530 square
kilometers (Islam 2005).
 About 80% of the garments industry in Bangladesh is
located in Dhaka city.
 Dhaka city contributes to about 13% of the country’s
GDP.

15. Driving Forces behind Rapid Urbanization
in Bangladesh
In 1974 people living in urban areas accounted for
only 8.8% of the population.
By 2001, urban population was 23.40% of total
population. UN data estimates that currently 25%
people of Bangladesh live in urban areas.
This is indicative of the fact that growth of urban
population and labor force is increasing relative to
rural population and labor force.

16. Driving forces:
1. Real or perceived job Opportunities.
2. Higher wages in the city are the main pulls.
3. Rural-urban disparities in other opportunities and
services are also responsible.
4. A large proportion of rural-urban migrations

17. Consequences of urbanization
Positive Consequences of Urbanization
 Economic benefits
 Employment Opportunity
 Education
 Demographic benefits: lowering of age at marriage, reduction
of fertility rate etc.
 Improved access to information technology-
 Socio-cultural benefits: modernization.
 Political benefits: empowerment, democracy etc.

18. Negative Consequences
Environment
In Bangladesh, average
temperature has registered an
increasing trend of about 1°C in May
and 0.5°C in Nov. (1985-1998).
 The annual mean rainfall exhibits
increasing trends in Bangladesh.

19. Existing Housing Problem
 Dhaka’s land prices are
comparable to those in
suburban New York or
London.
 Because of this, it is
impossible for the poor to
afford.
 The last statistical survey
conducted in 1995 found that
16% of the poor were
owners; 56% were tenants;
8% were rent free dwellers
and nearly 20% were
squatters of illegal occupants.

20. Slums
In absolute terms there are 8 million urban poor
people at present.
The majority of slum dwellers are under the poverty
line: earning less than BDT 4,500/month.

21. Water Supply
• 70% of Dhaka’s population has
now access to piped water.
• Future development of surface
water sources is in danger
because of industrial pollution.
•
• However, deficits have gone
down in recent years both in
absolute liters and as
percentage of demand.

22.
Much of the traffic relied on private sources, with rickshaws
providing the most used travel mode.
On the positive side, the rickshaws has lowered the potential
air pollution while also conserving energy.
On the negative side, rickshaws has contributed to heavy
traffic congestion and poses a severe safety hazard.
Transportation

23. Electricity
 Load shedding, especially in summer, is common
due to insufficient peak load capacity.
90% of population in Dhaka has power connections
Per capita consumption is 45kw/hour and 12% per
year.

24. Sanitation
 It is estimated about 3,200
metric tons of solid waste is
produced per day.
 Only about 50% is collected by
the city authority for proper
disposal.
The sanitation management is
grossly inadequate, posing a
tremendous health challenge.

25. Income inequality and poverty
 urbanization generates growth
in the economy, it also creates
great inequality of income within
urban population.
Rural-urban migration in
Bangladesh is held responsible
for transferring poverty from
rural areas to urban areas

26. Encroachment on productive agricultural
land and forest:
Population increase, growth of income , lack
of planning and development control are
resulting rapid conversion of agricultural
productive land to urban use.
There is also urban encroachment into forest
areas, as seen in the Modhupur Tract.

27. Social consequences
Negative social consequences increase in crime and
violence, drug trafficking and addition, corruption
and prostitution.

28. Political consequences: Criminalization of
politics
Using poor young male urban adults as party
cadres or musclemen, for political gain is now
common and an open secret in Bangladesh.
 Rise and fall of infamous Ershad Sikdar of Khulna
is a glaring example of such criminalization of
politics in the urban area.

29. Neglected Urban Issues
There is as yet no integrated, comprehensive,
and effective effort to overcome the
urbanization crisis facing Bangladesh.
Urbanization efforts so far remain ad hoc,
isolated, and partial in nature. There is a lack of
vision and integrated effort in resolving the.

30. ChallengesChallenges
 Unplanned and unguided spontaneous urbanization
with continuously mounting problems
 Lack of advanced planning for utility services, shelter
and infrastructure
 Lack of advanced planning for road infrastructure and
public transportation, installation of electric, gas, water,
sewerage and telephone lines

31. Continue..Continue..
 Lack of comprehensive urbanization comprising
all civic amenities like parks, lakes and other
recreational facilities
 Absence of regulatory framework of urban public
land and waterways to prevent their misuse
 Absence of conscious policy for utilization of
urban public land and waterways which could be
used as resources for building civic amenities

32. RecommendationsRecommendations
 Improving City Governance: the Principal Strategy
 Essential that they have elected and accountable
governments with clearly defined responsibilities .
a part of city reform strategy will be to develop viablecity
 Government that is able to attract private investment and
mobilize public resources based on service delivery and
attractive city environment

33. Decentralization of Functions and
Responsibilities
The theory of decentralization of functions is based
on the principle of allocating public functions to
those levels of government which can do it best
In Bangladesh the policing function is managed by
the central government.
Establishing decentralization to appropriate levels
for achieving greater coordination among public
sector agencies will be a strategy of the Plan.

34. Autonomy to Raise Own Finances
In the case of city governments the access to
property taxes and some form of “neutral” business
or income tax is important for ensuring their
accountability.
while upper tier of the government sets the tax
base for economic efficiency, the ability of city
governments to set rates and have autonomy to
raise own finances

35. Coordination of Fiscal, Regulatory and
Administration
The ability of city managers to coordinate fiscal,
regulatory and administrative systems which influence
the efficiency of cities is crucial to improving the welfare
of urban citizens.
Where city managers do not have the authority for
managing the city as a whole – as a self-contained
system – the ability to leverage the productivity of the
city to improve the welfare of residents will be limited

36. Administrative Systems
Good Urban Planning and Sound Incentives
 Job creation should be a part of the strategy so
that expansion of employment and income will
allow the urban population to move into formal and
informal housing
 This will necessitate urgent steps for
improvements in land use planning, property
valuation and taxation and improvement of service
delivery.

37. Developing a Sound Real Estate Market
At present around 80% of the housing purchased is from
self-finance.
As such the housing market serves mostly the upper and
middle-income households.
 To meet the housing needs of the lower income
households the House Building Finance Corporation should
be restructured and housing finance in the private sector
for lower income households should be encouraged.

38. Exploring the Feasibility of NGO
Involvement in Housing
NGO involvement in housing programs in Bangladesh is
limited.
projects run by some NGOs which offers cost-effective
rental hostel accommodation for female garment workers
(World Bank, 2007).
The feasibility of replicating such initiatives will be
explored as a housing strategy.

39. Taking Steps for Better Role of Government in
Urban Land Management
The pressure of urban housing ultimately puts focus
on the government’s land management policies and
practices.
The limited urban supply of land is subject to
competitive claims for commercial, industrial,
administrative, educational, recreational, military
,road building and residential purposes.

40. CONCLUSION
Within this kind of a dichotomous situation of
positive and negative aspects of urbanization, what
will we see in future in Bangladesh ?
Obviously for Bangladesh, its future lies to a great
extent on how we develop the urban sector.
We should facilitate the process towards a more
positive direction by some careful guidance,
planning and support, and by adopting and
implementing a good urban strategy

41. Restating Dr. Abul Barakt's view : As individuals,
as a citizen and as a member of civil society, we
all play a vital role tin accelerating sustained
development in Bangladesh.
 we can expedite the whole process, even within
our limited scale of public action, if we believe
and practice the 3 "C" paradigm: CONCERN,
COMMITMENT and COMPETENCE.