Presented by Abul Kalam Azad Senior Lecturer, GED Northern University Bangladesh E-mail: [e-mail]

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Presented by Abul Kalam AzadSenior Lecturer,
GEDNorthern University BangladeshE-mail
kalamadd_at_gmail.com
Lecture- 15 16 Urbanization in Bangladesh

• Objectives
• To Define Urbanization
• To Distinguish between Rural Urban Society
• To Find Out Causes/Determinants of Urbanization
• To Discuss Problems of urban development in BD
• Criteria of Urban Good Governance
• Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh

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Introduction

• Bangladesh as a developing country is facing
  several challenges to provide basic human needs
  such as food, health, education and shelter due
  to her growing population. Although the cities
  and towns are considered as engines for over all
  social, economic, physical and political
  development of a country, the scenario in
  Bangladesh is somewhat different due to both push
  and pull factors along with high rate of
  population growth. Provision of the above
  facilities is more unsatisfactory in urban areas
  than those in the rural areas.

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Defining Urbanization

• 1. Urbanization is a continuous process through
  which rural peoples life style is migrated to
  industrial and commercial areas.
• 2. Urbanization refers to the concentration of
  people in cities (many of the world's cities have
  populations of more than 5 million) and towns.
• 3. A social trend in which people adopt to life
  styles, residential patterns and cultural values
  of those who live in or near cities.
• 4. Urbanization is the process by which more
  and more people leave the countryside to live in
  cities (Cambridge Dictionary)

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Table Rural Urban Distinction
Features Rural Society Urban Society
Dominant social relations based on Kinship, locality neighborliness Exchange, rational calculation,
Order of social relations Family to Village to Town life City to National to International life
Wealth Land Money
Forms of social control Family law, extended kinship group, customs, mores, religion State, convention, political legislation, public opinion
Status - role Ascription Achievement
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Urbanization in Bangladesh

• Urbanization in Bangladesh is characterized by
  the concentration of urban population in three
  major metropolitan areas, namely Dhaka,
  Chittagong and Khulna.
• Urbanization is not an old concept. In 1971
  Bangladesh emerged as a country of a large
  population (approximately 70 million) with a low
  level of urbanization.
• Only about 4 percent of its population lived
  in urban areas at that time. After its
  independence, the 1971-81 decadal growth rate of
  urban population was the highest in the history
  of Bangladesh by more than 7 percent a year.

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Causes/ Determinants of Urbanization

• Since independence, a number of factors has led
  to the rapid growth of urban population in
  Bangladesh.
  
  First, the native urban population has
  recorded natural growth
• second, tragic deterioration of rural life
• Third, extension of boundaries of existing
  urban centers
• Fourth, migration of rural people to urban
  areas. This has been the most significant
  determinant in urban growth
• Fifth, landlessness, poverty and unemployment
  in the rural area
• Sixth, development of communication and
  transportation

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• Seventh, expansion of trade, commerce
  manufacturing
• Eighth, rising expectation of better life.
• On the basis of the above discussion, we can
  identify major two factors of urbanization -
• Pull factor and
• Push factor.
• To explain, educational facilities pull rural
  people to the cities. Similarly, the rural
  society pushes its people toward urban areas
  because of serious unemployment or growing
  landlessness and natural calamities like cyclone,
  famine, flood and river erosion.

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Problems of urban development in BD

• Deteriorating law and order situation and crime
  and a sense of insecurity violence among the
  people.
• Inadequacy of urban utility services (such as
  supply of water, sanitation and sewerage,
  electricity, gas, fuel, telephone, solid waste
  management, etc.).
• Poor roads, insufficient transport facilities and
  weak management of traffic.
• Lack of education, health and recreation
  services.
• Housing problem
• Various social problems, especially child abuse
  and oppression of women.

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Criteria of Urban Good Governance

• Decentralization
• Democratic Participation
• Transparency and Accountability
• Coordination
• Freedom of the municipal authority to implement
  plan and mobilize resources
• Rule of Law
• Equity (Economic and Gender)

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Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh

• Positive impact of Urbanization- According to
  UN centre for human settlements, 50 percent of
  GNP comes from urban areas in the developing
  countries. Some positive consequences of
  urbanization in BD are
• The role of urbanization in the growth of GDP
• Improvement of communication and transportation
• Increase of employment opportunities
• Development of powerful economic base
• Development of agricultural sectors cultural
  aspect
• Increase literacy rate and
• Women empowerment.

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• Negative impact of urbanization
• 1. Socio-economic problems
• a) High density of population,
• b) Urban poverty,
• c) House and slum problems,
• d) Scarcity of utility services (water,
  sanitation, transportation, education, health,
  electricity, gas, etc.)
• e) Social discrimination inequality
• f) Terrorism and crime.

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• 2. Environmental problems
• a) Industrial wastes which cause air pollution
  water Pollution
• b) Green house gas emission such as CFCs, C2
  
• c) Ozone layer depletion Green house effect
• d) Global warming
• e) Acid rain
• f) Noise Pollution
• d) Lack of hygiene and sanitation.
• Of about 30 million urban dwellers, sanitation
  coverage is available to about 42. Conventional
  sewerage systems are used only in parts of Dhaka
  and by only 18 of the citys 9 million people.
  Most of the slum dwellers have literally no
  latrine only a few have pit or surface latrine.

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What is to be done

• Lobbying at national international level
• Advocacy by Gos NGOs through workshops,
  seminars, rallies as well as radio, Televisions
  etc.
• Urban Land use policy
• A strong networking among the GO NGOs,
  researchers, academicians, and journalists.
• Institutional capacity building at the local,
  regional and central level
• Reformation of different organizations
• Ensuring good governance