Letters to the editor
Better population control activities are needed
Sir,
The present population of Bangladesh is estimated to be over 160 million. However, as a consequence of the current officially estimated annual growth rate of the population at 1.48 per cent, the population could be an enormous one at 320 million people or double the present size only about half a century from now. But land space and natural resources respectively would not be growing or growing equally as fast. How then to take care of such a vast population in about only 55,000 square miles of territory with its limited resources? This is indeed posing as a very big question .
Hard observers at field levels know it that the official family planning programme is not running well. The door to door visitors of the family planning department to households are hardly seen doing their job. Although they are paid from the public purse to at least visit each home in the areas where they are posted to advise all potentially males and females with reproductive capacity, they turn up only casually and at long intervals.
Contraceptives meant for free distribution or at nominal prices among users are actually found to be sold at market value that usually discourage the latter from buying them for use. There is a programme of operating on men and women who opt for the same for permanent control of reproductive capacities. Awards are to be provided for those who submit to the operations. But the award money and other prizes are actually found to be misappropriated in many cases. Besides, lack of its publicity has also meant its not gaining in popularity.
Therefore, the greatest need seems to be flushing very clean the various corruptions in the official population control programmes and revamping the same for effectiveness. The government is giving attention to different priorities in national life. It is duly expected to direct its attention also to running efficiently the vital population control programmes.
Nafisa Haider, DOHS, Dhaka
