Cost of unplanned urbanization

FE Team | Published: February 14, 2026 20:19:27

Bangladesh's agricultural land is rapidly declining, threatening national food security. Fertile fields are being sold to housing developers, filled for roads, or diverted for industrial projects. Government data show that around 70,000 hectares of arable land are lost to non-agricultural use each year, that is, about 219 hectares daily.
Experts warn that if this trend continues, the next generation could face a severe food crisis. At independence, Bangladesh had roughly 21 million hectares of arable land.
By 2000, this had decreased to 8.018 million hectares, with a population of 130 million. In 2017-18, arable land fell to 8 million hectares, and estimates for 2023-24 indicate about 7.946 million hectares remain, while the population has grown to around 180 million. Since independence, over 13.7 million hectares of farmland have been lost.
Bangladesh is among the most densely populated countries globally, with 2.2-2.4 million people added each year.
The country's fertile soil supports diverse crops, producing over 45 million tons of food grains annually. Agriculture still employs around 40 per cent of the workforce and contributes 4 per cent to the national economy. Agricultural output remains critical for overall economic stability.
However, urbanization, industrialisation, infrastructure projects, brick kilns, river erosion, salinity, and climate change are steadily converting farmland into non-agricultural uses. With employment already a pressing issue, further loss of farmland threatens the livelihoods of 68 per cent of the population.
Historically, 85 percent of Bangladeshis were engaged in farming, but this has declined to 48 per cent as the younger generation of the farming families leave the sector due to hardships.
To protect food security and sustain livelihoods, immediate measures are needed to curb unplanned urbanisation and boost agricultural production.
MD. Noor Hamza Peash
Student
Department of Law
World University of Bangladesh (WUB)