In Bangladesh, nothing terrifies the poor more than debt. For those struggling daily to secure a single meal, debt feels like a noose - impossible to swallow, impossible to throw off. Loans are often taken to survive: for rice, lentils, salt, school fees, hospital visits, or small personal needs. Yet, these very loans frequently become deadly traps.
A mother borrowing to buy her child's school supplies may see hope, only to be crushed later by unbearable installment pressure. Bangladesh has a large impoverished population with 27.93 per cent of the people living below the poverty line. Nearly half of all families struggle with food insecurity. To meet basic needs, many are forced into debt.
Farmers, who feed the nation, often live half-fed lives themselves. They borrow at high interest to plant crops, facing unfair prices and predatory syndicates. Repaying loans becomes nearly impossible; some take their own lives. In Mohanpur, Rajshahi, Akbar Ali hanged himself after failing to repay an NGO loan. In Bogura, Abdul Karim consumed poison under similar pressures. Legal harassment, mounting debt, and lack of support leave poor farmers destitute.
Debt also fuels social unrest. In Savar, Dhaka, a young man killed his friend over a 1,500 BDT loan. Debt seems like temporary relief but eventually crushes lives. Meanwhile, the wealthy exploit loans as opportunities, forgiven when defaulting, while the poor face shame, humiliation, or even death. Loans intended to help the poor often trap them with high interest. Jobs are scarce, safety nets fail, and prices rise faster than incomes, leaving the vulnerable with no choice but to borrow.
Solution lies in sustainable employment generation, price control of essentials, capping NGO loan interest, rescheduling loans for disaster-affected farmers, and humane debt recovery practices. Corruption in welfare programs must be eliminated, and high-interest lending sectors dismantled.
Debt is it is a curse. Each suicide, murder, or legal case reflects a failure of society. If the state does not support the poor now, mountains of debt will continue to crush their hopes and lives. It is time to stand with the poor and give them a chance to live again.
Jobayda Islam Joya
Jagannath University
jobaydajoya25@gmail.com