The country’s present population is 16.44 crore with a 1.4 percent growth rate and 2.25 total fertility rate, according to the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) annual report – state of world population 2010.
This year report styled ‘From Conflict and Crisis to Renewal:
Generations of Change’ said presently average life expectancy of
the country’s male is 65.4 years while 68.1 years for the female.
Only 18 percent of pregnant mothers of the country get
skilled birth attendant while giving birth to a child, the report
said.
Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzak spoke
as the chief guest while UNFPA’s Bangladesh country
representative Arthur Erken formally release the report at a city
hotel here.
UNFPA simultaneously published the report at all capital
cities around the globe today.
The Food Minister Abdur Razzak said family planning
programmes need to be more effective for ensuring food security,
as population growth rate still remains high.
“It will be difficult to gain progress in attaining
millennium development goals, poverty eradication and other
development programme, if the population growth doesn’t remain
under control,” he said.
He said the government has already taken an integrated
initiative as per the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
for further strengthening the family planning programme.
Just after assuming the state power, Dr Razzak said the
present government has taken all necessary measures to increase
crop production for ensuring food security. “The bumper
production of boro in the last season is the result of the
government taken initiatives,” he added.
Even now there is no food seasonal scarcity at the monga porn
areas of the country, he added.
Professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology
(BUET) Mehedi Ahmed Ansari and Professor of Dhaka University
Mahbuba Nasrin also spoke on the occasion.
Four journalists, Reeta Bhoumik (Jai Jai Din), Mahbuba Jannat
(the Daily Star), Sahnaj Munni (ATN Bangla) and Sultana Rahman
(NTV) were awarded for their reporting on population issues.
DHAKA, Oct 20 (BSS)