Bangladesh

The area of the country: 147 000 km²

Climate: tropical, high humidity

The capital: Dhaka

Status: Republic

Population: 147 365 352 (2006)

Literacy: 43%

Population density: 981 inhabitants per 1 km²

Religion: Muslims 88%, Hindi 10%, other 2%

Bangladesh is the third most populated country in the world and rates as one of the most backward countries. Bangladesh is subject to devastating floods, tropical cyclones and tornados often accompanied by surging waves that can cause great damage and loss of life. Very often victims of these disasters are the homeless and beggars living in slums on the outskirts of towns under very poor conditions.

Not only do floods cause damage among people, but they wreak havoc on crops, domestic animals, cattle and houses as well. They pollute underground water and cause deadly diseases to spread: cholera, typhus, hepatitis and others. Along with lack of food, ignorance of basic hygienic rules and corrupted government that is unable to implement any necessary reforms, this contributes to giving up hopes for better future.

On the one hand, you can find a small group of the rich spending their lives in ethereal luxury, whereas, on the other hand, you can see a large group of those scratching their living and suffering without any compassion and help from the first group.

The poor get by only on what they manage to beg for. Sometimes they receive some help from various humanitarian organizations, usually food and basic medical care. However, such help cannot meet needs of all those people in need in this over-populated region. Half of the children younger than five are underweight and in more distant places their mortality rate is even higher. Not only do they starve to death but they die of AIDS, leprosy and malaria as well.

School attendance is free and compulsory but still over half of the inhabitants are illiterate. This is caused by a low level of state schools compared to private ones which, however, are not available to all children.

Another obstacle is also the fact that children have to help their parents make ends meet by either begging or working hard on building sites. Exhausted children often have serious accidents that sometimes make them permanently injured or even result in death.

Due to the overpopulation, the traffic is extremely heavy. Buses look more like wrecks than means of transport; they should have been discarded long ago, very often they are helplessly overcrowded and cause frequent accidents. Bangladesh is also listed as a country with the highest accident rate. As a result of this, there are many disabled beggars lying next to roads arousing the feeling of pity and compassion.

It is no exaggeration to say that what rules the country might be referred to as the modern Middle Ages. Though the law forbids (and government silently tolerates) horrific practices are carried out: women being poured over with acid by suitors they turn down, women and children are buried alive when their relatives die and there is nobody else to take care of them. There is no social benefit system, children’s homes, shelters for babies, nobody to stand up for women’s rights, nobody to stand up for anybody’s rights.

Bangladesh has no good prospects for future. Due to climate changes and rising sea level, more and more floods will occur, more people will lose their homes and salt sea water will pollute underground water with a result of poor or no crops whatsoever near the new coastline.

The real irony consists in the fact that it is well-developed countries that affect the climate with the consequence befalling the countries that have hardly any share in it. Despite and because of it, it is so necessary to help these countries and people living in them. After all, we are living in the “happier” corner of the earth.

J. Voltrová