Investing in the population

The Prime Minister (PM) is on record for declaring that the much-talked-about population of Bangladesh is more an asset than a liability. This was her apparently 'light' response during question time at the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) in June last year, when one concerned member wanted to know whether the nation's mosques and temples --- 42,500 and 24,000 respectively --- could be used to advantage to rev up reproductive healthfamily planning awareness among those who need to be motivated most. Although over the past three decades Bangladesh has made impressive progress in curbing the birth rate ---- now said to be about 2.5 ---- it is still considered too high. The 'youth bulge' in particular is considerable, likely to boom in no time given the fact that nearly half the population is under 15 with its own natural growth dynamics. Nonetheless, there is no denying that the PM's words could be more profoundly meaningful if proper investment were made in Bangladesh's human resource and it remained the topmost policy priority for all governments. Indeed, it would be quite possible to tap the latent talents and aptitudes of the teeming masses, and bring about a sea-change in the country's socio-economic standards, provided governments in Bangladesh invested consistently and sustainably enough in the enhancement of people's lives -------- through balanced nutrition, proper education and productive employment. The fecundity of people in this land-scarce country is legendary. Currently the total population figure is said to be around 150 million and growing by 18 to 20 hundred thousand a year. But it is wrong to blame the people for this galloping growth for it is the failure of successive governments to ensure equitable distribution of resources to meet the constitutionally pledged targets of universal education, health care, employment and shelter, that is more responsible. If these vital sectors are prioritized, the population is bound to stabilize. This approach has proved to be the best contraceptive wherever it was implememted. Policy-makers cannot ignore investment in the poor and powerless if Bangladesh is to forge ahead, taking advantage of the youthful work force. Considering the terrible birth dearth in many developed countries where the weight of senior citizens is beginning to tell on the tax payers, Bangladesh's situation could really be turned into a great advantage if the right education and skills are imparted to the young in earnest to fill specific niches abroad. The National Population Council advocates increased emphasis on raising awareness, as it should be. But it must also be realised that the practice of publishing reports after reports, erecting billboards and advertising on city-based media hardly makes sense. The money wasted on these could be better spent if door-to-door IEC (information, education and communication) activities in the backward areas, are undertaken instead. Most poor women have no say at all about contraception or reproduction. In such situations, husband-wife teams of family planning workers have been known to work wonders, with men being persuaded to go for harmless, non-invasive contraception, including vasectomy. This can spare poor women the adverse health effects of pills, injections and the like, which seem to harm the malnourished more than they do the better-off.