Char Rajibpur: An upazila where almost 80% people are poor

Char Rajibpur upazila in Kurigram has the highest number of poverty-stricken people living in the country, reveals a poverty map.

Reportedly, about 79.8% of people residing in the upazila are poor.

Meanwhile, the capital's Gulshan has the lowest ratio of poverty rate, which is only 0.4%.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has calculated the number of poor people in the upazila and metropolitan areas using the 2016 data on poverty, where the average poverty rate in Bangladesh was found to be 24.3%.

The information was disclosed during a seminar titled "Poverty and Under-nutrition Maps Based on Small Area Estimation Technique" held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Sunday (22 May.

Speaking on the occasion, State Minister for Planning Dr Samsul Alam observed that aid via various social security programmes are frequently provided in the areas where most people are poor while other places with smaller poverty rate get little to no help.

"Some changes are needed in the process of providing government services in this regard," Samsul Alam said noting that assistance should be provided to both the 71% poor people in Kurigram and also the 3% poor living in Narayanganj.

The average poverty rate in Dhaka division is 16%. Here, Gulshan recorded the lowest poverty rate while Mithamoin upazila accounts for the highest rate or 61.2%.

The average poverty rate in Khulna division is 27.48%. The lowest poverty rate in this division is in Chuadanga's Alamdanga with 7.9% poor and the highest is in Mohammadpur upazila of Magura, at 72.4%.

Besides, the average poverty rate in Mymensingh division is 32.77%. Mymensingh's Bhaluka has the lowest poverty rate of 15.5%. The highest number of poor people in this division is in Dewanganj upazila of Jamalpur, 63.2%.

The average poverty rate in Rajshahi division is 28.93%. The lowest poverty rate in this division is in Boalia upazila, only 9%. The highest is in Naogaon's Porsha upazila, at 48.7%.

The average poverty rate in Rangpur division is 47.23%. The most impoverished area in this division, as well as in the country, is Char Rajibpur in Kurigram. The lowest poverty rate was recorded in Atwari upazila of Panchagarh at 9.3%.

The average poverty rate in Sylhet is 16.23%. The lowest ratio of poor in this division is in Bishwanath, which has 10.4% poor. The highest poverty rate is 60.9% in Shalla upazila of Sunamganj.

Md Alamgir Hossen presented the keynote address - Focal point, Poverty and Undernutrition Mapping – at the event presided over by BBS Director-General Mohammad Tajul Islam.

Jane Pearce, country director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Bangladesh, was also present at the event.