Dhaka’s Paltan witnesses least number of residents below poverty line

Dhaka's Paltan thana area has the least number of residents living under the poverty line, only 1 percent, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

A BBS survey, titled "Poverty Map of Bangladesh, 2022: Small Area Estimation (SAE), District and Upazila Results", revealed such findings. The survey report was made public at a function held today at the BICC in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

The 'Poverty Map of Bangladesh, 2022' report was framed and thus published by the Poverty and Livelihood Statistics (PLS) cell of the BBS.

Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain spoke at the function as the chief guest while Deputy Country Director, Bangladesh, World Food Programme (WFP) Simone Lawson Parchment and Acting Operations Manager and Program Leader, Human Development for Bangladesh and Bhutan, World Bank S. Amer Ahmed spoke as special guests.

Director General of BBS Mohammed Mizanur Rahman delivered the closing remarks while Deputy Director General of BBS Mohammad Obaidul Islam gave the welcome address.

BBS Deputy Director and Focal Point Officer, PLS Cell, BBS, Mohiuddin Ahmed made a presentation on Poverty Map of Bangladesh 2022 while Takahiro UTSUMI, Head of RAM, Research, Assessment and Monitoring Unit, WFP made a presentation on the importance of poverty scenario at Granular Level for Vulnerability Assessment and Proper Targeting.

Statistics and Informatics Division Joint Secretary Dr Dipankar Roy moderated the question and answer session.

Considering the list with least number of poor residents in the Dhaka district, the second spot is Uttara Paschim with 1.1% living below poverty line, followed by Bimanbandar (1.4%), Dhanmondi (1.5%), Gulshan (3.2%), Mohammadpur (4.6%), Rampura (6.3%), Badda (7.4%), Banani (11.3%) and Mirpur (12.6%), among other areas.

Dhaka district itself has an overall poverty rate of 8.6%.

Madaripur district, meanwhile, has the highest poverty rate, with 54.4% of its population living below the poverty line, while Noakhali district has the least poor people, with a poverty rate of just 6.1%.

In terms of individual upazilas, Madaripur's Dasar is the poorest, with 63.2% of the population living in poverty.

On a regional scale, the report reveals that the Barisal division has the highest poverty rate in the country at 26.6 percent, while Chattogram has the lowest at 15.2 percent. 

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said that based on the findings of the Poverty Map, the government can intervene in special areas where support is necessary.

In the development of the 'Poverty Map of Bangladesh 2022' SAE techniques were utilized, capitalizing on data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022 and the Population and Housing Census (PHC) 2022. 

This approach facilitates the estimation of poverty levels down to the district and upazila levels, offering a granularity that surpasses the division-level estimates typically provided by HIES 2022.

The BBS in collaboration with two international partners, World Bank and WFP, played a vital role in spearheading the production of the 2022 poverty maps.

The 2022 poverty maps offer extensive coverage, encompassing all 8 divisions, and extending it through SAE methodology to the 64 districts, 590 upazilas, and metropolitan thanas across Bangladesh. 

This comprehensive coverage ensures a thorough and detailed geographical representation of poverty within the country.