No family planning in Urirchar
Population rises 37 per cent in five years
SHAMSUDDIN ILLIUS, back from Urirchar, Sandwip
The resident of the alienated island of Urirchar along the border between Chittagong and Noakhali districts dont know what is family planning. The most of the eligible couple have 2-14 children. Accordingly the government estimate in the last five years the population of the Island raised at least 37 percent.
Golam Zakaria, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Sandwip upazila told The Independent, In 2011, in the alienated Island population was about 16,000-17,000 while now it is over 27,000-28,000. The UNO himself also surprised with the rapid growth of the population in the Island.
However, the local resident and the estimate of Upzaila family planning the population of the Island over 30,000, accordingly the in the last five years it raised to 43 percent. The local people said they give birth more children as lack of health care facilities, leads numerous mother and new born leads to death.
However, the UNO and Upzila family planning officer both blamed the illiteracy, lack of excess healthcare facilities and intension to reproduce more children to impinge new emerge land of the Island.
Mohammad Fochhi Alam, 55 and Saleha Begum, resident of Ward No, near Janata Bazar, Urir Char (Urir Island) Sandwip in Chittagong, this couple is given birth 13 sons and daughters.
The couple is the parents of Saiful Islam, 30, Manjur Alam, 28, Roma Begum, 27, Didar Alam, 26, Md Riyad Alam, 24, Runa Begum, 19, Lipa Akhter, 16, Moudud Alam, passed Primary School Certificate examination this year, Shipon Akhter, a student of class five, Popy Akhter,09, Siyad Alam, 08, Poly Akhter,06 and Md Ziad Alam, 05. Mohammad Monir, son of Mohammad Hanif, Janata Bazar, who got married in 1996 has eight children including four daughters and four sons, his eldest son Moin Uddins age is 13 while youngest Nizam Uddins age is three only and his wife is now an expectant mother now.
He said to this correspondent, I am illiterate one. I do not know what family planning is. This is for literate people. No one come to us with the systems.
He also said he lost two his son during irth, however; luckily, his wife was saved from death.
Not only the duo but also Azam Maji has 14, Mohammad Ibrahim has 11 of Janata Bazar and Sanu Maji of Bangla Bazar has nine sons and daughter.
These people said they do not know what family planning is, techniques to control the timing of reproduction.
Sandwip upazila family planning officer Dr Abul Kalam Azad said due to shortage of manpower he cannot run his activities fully in the coastal Island.
He told The Independent, We have shortage of manpower. Earlier I have 16 medical visitors now have only two. Moreover, doctors and medical officers do not want to go there as it alienated and the land known as terrorist land. So we cannot run any activities there fully.
The people do not follow any guidance, they want to take more children as there is a tendency to encroach newly emerge land, added the family planning officer.
As per our record now there are 2,200 eligible couple in Sandwip side and more 2,200 in Noakhali side of the coastal Island. All they really deprived of health care facilities, he added.
