While here, on more than one occasion I have been asked what I think the main development challenges in Bangladesh are. This is, of course, a daunting question that is hard to tackle. Nervous about neglecting anything, I tend to dish-out a varied list of issues at the national and international level, both current and historical. At the end, it’s often inquired why I didn’t mention overpopulation.

Unsurprisingly, this is a prominent concern in Bangladesh; with a population estimated at around 155 million and a geographical landmass a fraction of the size of Canada, Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world. Living in the sprawling city of Dhaka, where slums are scattered everywhere and you can get stuck in traffic jams for hours, it’s easy to fall into the pattern of blaming excessive population for the country’s troubles.

But blaming population is just too easy. Yes, there are a lot of people in Bangladesh, but is it impossible to mobilize a large population? It’s true this is particularly difficult for a resource-strapped State, but I think there’s another way to look at this issue. For instance, if asked why the country is so constrained in the first place, my attention shifts toward other factors, such as the imbalances in the international trade regime or remaining colonial influences. Yet, when overpopulation is the problem it too conveniently means the blame for underdevelopment is laid at the foot of developing countries. For this reason, it’s not unexpected that many Western development agencies put a focus on family planning, a much more a-political intervention than say, changing global trade patterns.

I find it worrisome that this is a prominent perspective amongst Bangladeshis as well. In talking with professionals and academics here, I’ve often hear it said that the problems of the country stem from the poor and uneducated villagers who don’t see why large families are a problem. This is a troubling perspective because poverty in Bangladesh no longer becomes causally connected to the activities of developed countries, or even to those of the national government. Instead, fault is directed inward and these other actors, who are in many ways the source of the problem, are excused from holding any responsibility. The result is that citizens don’t hold their government to account and the government doesn’t hold the international community to account. This, I think, makes overpopulation a very dangerous argument to make and one to approach with caution.

Category: Bangladesh, Category, Country, On location // Add Comment »