Bangladesh at Fifty: Changes and Challenges in Population and Development

Abstract

Bangladesh turned 50 in 2021 having made remarkable progress in population and development, such as reducing total fertility and maternal mortality, boosting contraceptive prevalence, reducing infant and child mortality, increasing life expectancy at birth, and enhancing gender parity in schooling, women's empowerment, and overall development. This paper explores the past and determines the drivers of population change and development challenges, the current situation, and future trends and issues up to 2041—the year benchmarked for the country to attain 'developed' status. The study uses censuses, national-level surveys, population projections, and UN and World Bank data. Reducing total fertility, curbing child marriage, addressing adolescent motherhood and their unmet need for family planning, reducing high maternal mortality ratios, the double burden of diseases and malnutrition, addressing population ageing, high youth unemployment, low female labor force participation, and increased climate change vulnerabilities are critical challenges. The demographic dividend needs urgent action. To reach the SDGs by 2030, the country must eliminate unmet contraception needs, preventable maternal deaths, and gender-based violence, and harmful practices, including child marriages.