Poverty main barrier to literacy

One of the major challenges Bangladesh faced after the Liberation War was extremely low literacy rate. This low literacy rate is closely linked to the country's persistent poverty. A review of statistics since 1971 reveals a clear trend: as poverty has decreased, literacy has increased.
For instance, in 1971, Bangladesh had a poverty rate exceeding 80 per cent, while the literacy rate was a mere 16.8 per cent. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, by 2022, the poverty rate had fallen to 18.7 per cent, and the literacy rate had risen to 76.08 per cent.
UNESCO defines literacy as the ability to read, understand, interpret, communicate, and perform calculations in various forms of written and oral communication. This means literacy encompasses the ability to write, read, calculate, and communicate effectively, including the use of information technology.
Article 17 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh mandates the eradication of illiteracy and declares education as free and compulsory. This places a constitutional responsibility on the government to eliminate illiteracy from the country. However, as previously mentioned, poverty is a significant barrier to eradicating illiteracy. Therefore, poverty must be addressed before illiteracy can be fully eradicated.
Despite progress, the latest data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in 2022 indicates that 18.7 per cent of the population still lives below the poverty line, with 5.6 per cent living in extreme poverty. With a population of 169.8 million, this translates into approximately 31.8 million people living in poverty.
Many children in Bangladesh are still working as agricultural labourers, construction workers, public transport workers, industrial workers, and in hotels and restaurants instead of attending school. These children, deprived of education and a chance to shape their future, are also unable to contribute to the sustainable future of the country.
Addressing this issue requires more than a quick fix. The government needs to develop and implement effective plans, both short-term and long-term, for poverty alleviation. Consequently, literacy rates will improve across the country.

Moinuddin Chowdhury
Teacher of a government primary school
Chattogram