Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Henry Kissinger described Bangladesh as a 'basket case'.
In 1975 the total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman can expect to have during her lifetime) was 6.3.
The fertility rate is now just 2.3.
Bangladesh by martien van asseldonk
Henry Kissinger described Bangladesh as a 'basket case'.
But, Bangladesh has improved the lives of its poor.
In this respect, it is doing better than India and Pakistan.
Bangladesh and development: The path through the fields
Bangladesh by martien van asseldonk
Bangladesh:
Bangladesh and development: The path through the fields
Bangladesh by martien van asseldonk
Bangladesh:
Between 1990 and 2010 life expectancy in Bangladesh rose from 59 to 69 years.
Bangladeshis now have a life expectancy four years higher than Indians.
The improvement in life expectancy in Bangladesh has been as great among the poor as the rich.
Bangladesh by Rakhal Cheley
In 2005, more than 90% of girls were enrolled in primary school.
Bangladesh by Rakhal Cheley
In 2005, more than 90% of girls were enrolled in primary school.
Between 1990 and 2010, infant mortality has more than halved.
Over the same period child mortality fell by two-thirds and maternal mortality fell by three-quarters.
![Shades of Victory [..Dhaka, Bangladesh..]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sCfyiiAgmRwL9ZWg48QHJ4Hq6J10wt_ppwiW_fy-JRA6kYvsS9Ug-AM0EMqShSRh0LGxux8Bh5ls8Ia5n6dL7Wo48s3rYuvAMrcfIGoKSkS3YNUsJwbY9KJu_D2ANmLQ=s0-d)
Bangladesh by Catch the dreamSince 1990 Bangladesh's GDP has been rising at 5% a year.
The percentage of people below the poverty line has been reduced from 49% in 2000 to 32% in 2010.
Bangladesh by Don-Pixel
In 1975, 8% of women of child-bearing age were using contraception (or had partners who were); in 2010 the number was over 60%.
Bangladesh by Don-Pixel
In 1975, 8% of women of child-bearing age were using contraception (or had partners who were); in 2010 the number was over 60%.
In 1975 the total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman can expect to have during her lifetime) was 6.3.
The fertility rate is now just 2.3.
"The boom in the textile industry and the arrival of 'microcredit' have, over the past 20 years, put money into women's pockets—from which it is more likely to be spent on health, education and better food."
Between 1971 and 2010 the rice harvest more than trebled.
Bangladesh by martien van asseldonk
Around 6m Bangladeshis work abroad, mostly in the Middle East.
"In the year ending in June 2012 they sent back $13 billion, about 14% of annual income—more than all the government’s social-protection programmes put together."
Bangladesh by David_Lazar
The World Bank calculates that "between 2000 and 2010, real agricultural wages rose 59%, compared with 42% for all sectors."
Most countries have seen a reduction in rural living standards.
Bangladesh spends a little more than most low-income countries on helping the poor.
Bangladesh and development: The path through the fields
BRAC
The Non Government Organisation (NGO) called BRAC (Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee) invented the idea of microcredit - loans for the very poor.
Another NGO, the Grameen Bank, also lends money to the very poor.
Hajira (8 years old) sits in a workshop where she recycles thousands of size-D dry cell batteries, by bursting them using a simple hammer, one at a time. Hajira cleans between 1000-3000 carbon rods per day and gets paid accordingly between Taka 6-18 per day (10-20 US cents). By Shehzad Noorani
"Microcredits have not, as some claimed, led to a surge of entrepreneurial activity.
"In some cases they have left borrowers worse off than before.
"Their impact in the land of their birth, though, has been mostly positive."
Bangladesh by lucafabbozzo
BRAC is now the largest NGO in the world by the number of employees and the number of people it has helped.
In the 1980s it sent out volunteers to every household in the country showing mothers how to mix salt, sugar and water in the right proportions to rehydrate a child suffering from diarrhoea.
Shehnaz (3 years old) sits on the window of battery recycling workshop. By Shehzad Noorani
BRAC and the government jointly ran a huge programme to inoculate every Bangladeshi against tuberculosis.
BRAC runs primary schools.
BRAC has the world’s largest legal-aid programme.
Bangladesh by martien van asseldonk
BRAC found the poor could not sell the milk and eggs produced by the animals they had bought.
So BRAC got into food processing.
BRAC found the most destitute were too poor for micro-loans, and so it gave them free animals.
BRAC now runs dairies, a packaging business, a seed producer, textile plants, shops, schools, clinics and sanitation plants.
BRAC has 100,000 health volunteers.
Bangladesh by lucafabbozzo
"Bangladesh still has formidable problems...
"The quality of education is abysmal...
2010-12-11 Staring at money in his hand at New Market in Dhaka, Bangladesh. By martien van asseldonk
"Textile workers make about $35 a month...
"The amounts spent on education (2.2% of GDP) and health (3.5%) in Bangladesh are below the average for low-income countries."
Bangladesh and development: The path through the fields
Between 1971 and 2010 the rice harvest more than trebled.
Bangladesh by martien van asseldonk
Around 6m Bangladeshis work abroad, mostly in the Middle East.
"In the year ending in June 2012 they sent back $13 billion, about 14% of annual income—more than all the government’s social-protection programmes put together."
Bangladesh by David_Lazar
The World Bank calculates that "between 2000 and 2010, real agricultural wages rose 59%, compared with 42% for all sectors."
Most countries have seen a reduction in rural living standards.
Bangladesh spends a little more than most low-income countries on helping the poor.
Bangladesh and development: The path through the fields
BRAC
The Non Government Organisation (NGO) called BRAC (Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee) invented the idea of microcredit - loans for the very poor.
Another NGO, the Grameen Bank, also lends money to the very poor.
Hajira (8 years old) sits in a workshop where she recycles thousands of size-D dry cell batteries, by bursting them using a simple hammer, one at a time. Hajira cleans between 1000-3000 carbon rods per day and gets paid accordingly between Taka 6-18 per day (10-20 US cents). By Shehzad Noorani
"Microcredits have not, as some claimed, led to a surge of entrepreneurial activity.
"In some cases they have left borrowers worse off than before.
"Their impact in the land of their birth, though, has been mostly positive."
Bangladesh by lucafabbozzo
BRAC is now the largest NGO in the world by the number of employees and the number of people it has helped.
In the 1980s it sent out volunteers to every household in the country showing mothers how to mix salt, sugar and water in the right proportions to rehydrate a child suffering from diarrhoea.
Shehnaz (3 years old) sits on the window of battery recycling workshop. By Shehzad Noorani
BRAC and the government jointly ran a huge programme to inoculate every Bangladeshi against tuberculosis.
BRAC runs primary schools.
BRAC has the world’s largest legal-aid programme.
Bangladesh by martien van asseldonk
BRAC found the poor could not sell the milk and eggs produced by the animals they had bought.
So BRAC got into food processing.
BRAC found the most destitute were too poor for micro-loans, and so it gave them free animals.
BRAC now runs dairies, a packaging business, a seed producer, textile plants, shops, schools, clinics and sanitation plants.
BRAC has 100,000 health volunteers.
Bangladesh by lucafabbozzo
"Bangladesh still has formidable problems...
"The quality of education is abysmal...
2010-12-11 Staring at money in his hand at New Market in Dhaka, Bangladesh. By martien van asseldonk
"Textile workers make about $35 a month...
"The amounts spent on education (2.2% of GDP) and health (3.5%) in Bangladesh are below the average for low-income countries."
Bangladesh and development: The path through the fields