Introducing family planning programmes focusing on urban slums

It is disconcerting, if not alarming, to note that following decades of enviable success on the population front, Bangladesh is reverting to rising population growth. Population increase which was 1.36 per cent in 2012 rose to 1.37 per cent in 2013. This was disclosed by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in the survey report of its project entitled 'Monitoring the situation of vital statistics of Bangladesh'.
Overpopulation is labelled as a major bottleneck towards economic development in the developing countries of Asia and Africa. Population being higher compared to their resources and abilities, development projects in these countries usually fail to achieve desired goals. In such a situation, Bangladesh was able to restrict its population growth to around 1.0 per cent and earned worldwide appreciation.
One of the main attributes behind Bangladesh's laudable performance in respect to various human development indices in recent years was its ability to control population growth through formulation and implementation of a well-designed family planning programme. But the recent upward trend has emerged as a matter of concern. The unexpected rise of population growth rate calls for a careful analysis of the underlying causes.
The rate of population increase in an underdeveloped country is closely linked with its literacy rate. A country with a higher literacy rate has a lower rate of population growth due to educational consciousness of its people. For example, Sri Lanka has the highest literacy rate among the countries of South Asia (98.1 per cent) and that is why its rate of population increase is also the lowest (1.04 per cent) in the region. But in the case of Bangladesh, the relationship between education and population increase is not working as anticipated.     
Alongside evaluating the causes of increasing population growth, the rising trend will have to be arrested. And to do so, the time-tested programmes of the past should be revived. At the same time, new appropriate programmes should be introduced and new strategies evolved. Previously, activities of family planning were village-centred. But situation now demands that family planning programmes should also be launched in urban slums alongside villages with equal or more emphasis.  
There are about 10 million slum dwellers in the country where family discipline is extremely volatile. Incidents of new marriages and broken marriages are taking place side by side. At the same time, incidents of child marriages are still so rampant that the whole situation is far worse than that of villages. The main reason thereof is the housing and social situation of slums. Rate of child birth is not only high but is also alarming. The Family Planning Directorate is not known to have undertaken any family planning programme focusing the urban slums.
The intensity of door-to-door visits by family planning workers in rural areas motivating the villagers and distributing family planning materials free of cost, are not noticeable now-a-days. These activities should be revived with greater intensity.
Although the present trend of our economic development is encouraging, there is no reason to presume that the road to progress will be free of risks and hindrances for an indefinite period of time.  Who could have foreseen the extensive damage to the economy due to recent political unrest (which was worth about Tk.170 billion, according to the World Bank)?
If the rate of population increase in Bangladesh is not brought down to 1.0 per cent by 2021, it will be difficult to maintain the present trend of growth. The Family Planning Directorate should mobilise its resources and undertake appropriate programmes to further intensify efforts to restrict population growth at an acceptable level.  
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