Urbanization and Bangladesh
Definition of Urbanization
• An increase in a population in cities and towns versus
rural areas. Urbanization began during the industrial
revolution,
when
workers
moved
towards
manufacturing sectors in cities to obtain jobs in
factories as agricultural jobs became less common.
• It predominantly results in the physical growth of
urban areas.
• Urbanization is the process by which large numbers of
people become permanently concentrated in relatively
small areas, forming cities.
Factors behind urbanization
• There could be various factors behind the
process of urbanization:
• A high natural increase of native urban
population
• The territorial extension of existing urban
areas, and a definition of urban areas, and
• Rural to urban migration.
Factors behind urbanization
Factors that contributes to people’s migration from rural to urban areas can be divided into two types:
Push factors and Pull Factors.
•
Push Factors





Lack of Employment Opportunities,
Natural Disaster
lack of basic facilities
increasing population pressure on land
lack of employment opportunities

Decline in agricultural income
•
Pull Factors




higher employment
more wealth
better services
lower risk from natural hazards
Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh
• Some of the positive benefits refer to the followings:
• - Economic benefits: higher productivity, better income etc. In pure
economic terms, urbanization contributes significantly to the
national economy. Even in Bangladesh (at 28 percent urban), this
sector contributes to more than 60 percent of the GDP. This has
grown from as low as 25 percent in 1972-73 and 45 percent in
1995-96. This trend obviously may lead one to conclude that
urbanization on a macro-scale would be beneficial to the economy
of Bangladesh.
• - Demographic benefits: reduction of fertility rate etc.
• - Socio-cultural benefits: modernization helps us be conversant of
the culture of other nation.
• - Political benefits: empowerment, democracy etc.
• - Improved access to information technology
Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh
Negative Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh
• Environmental consequences:
Water and Air Pollution are predominant in this regard. Rapid
urbanization without planning and development control
has resulted in massive degradation in the urban
environment: This is obvious in pollution of air and water.
There is also high level of noise pollution, and degradation
of land. Uncollected garbage add also to increase in noxious
odour.
• Encroachment on productive agricultural land and forest:
Population increase, growth of income of certain sections of
the population, lack of planning and development control
are resulting rapid conversion of agricotural productive land
to urban use.
Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh
• Extreme pressure on housing, growth of slums
and the pressure on urban services:
Urbanization, particularly rapid urbanization within
a situation of weak economic condition, creates
extreme pressure on housing and urban services
like education, health, transportation, water,
sanitation, electricity, fuel, garbage clearance,
recreation etc. Pressure on housing accompanied
by poverty causes growth of slums and squatter
settlements.
Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh
• Economic consequences leading to income inequality and poverty,
effects of globalization:
While it is true that urbanization generates growth in the economy, it
also creates great inequality of income within urban
population. Income inequality in urban areas in Bangladesh is
higher than in rural areas.
• Social consequences resulting in increased violence and crime,
social degradation:
Among the many negative social consequences of urbanisation are the
increase in the incidence of crime and violence, drug trafficking and
addition, corruption and prostitution. Some of these are associated
with affluence while the others with deprivation, frustration and
bad governance.
Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh
• Cultural consequences: entry of alien culture, loss of national
cultural identity
Alien cultures make easy entry through urbanisation. Satellite TV has
been a strong agent but there are also other modes of entry.
• Habitat of floating people:
Apart from the urban and rural dwellers, there is another group of
people who have no permanent station either in the cities or in the
villages. These helpless people spend their days under the sun and
their nights are huddled together railway stations, launch ports,
public footpaths, verendahs of various offices or under the open sky
in parks or roadsides. These masses have no fixed jobs or address
and earn their daily bread either from occasional day-labour jobs or
from dubious activities such as begging or flesh trade.
Impact of Urbanization in Bangladesh
• Political consequences: Criminalization of
politics.
Using poor young male urban adults as party cadres
or musclemen, for political gain is now common
and an open secret in Bangladesh. Almost every
political event ranging from political 'show-down
to massive rallies, agitation, protest and even
wining polls (in some cases) through unfair
means is arranged and staged by corrupt
politicians gathering poor men and women from
slum areas.