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Thirty-fold rise in urban population over past century

CITY CORRESPONDENT
We see the evidence of rapid urban expansion daily in Dhaka. But the figures still come as a shock -- over the past century the urban population of Bangladesh has risen thirty fold, and in the past forty years almost tenfold. By contrast the figures for the rural population have risen four times and doubled in the same time frames, according to Rita Afsar, of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
Since the early 1970s, urban migration has accounted for almost two-thirds of urban growth, which reached 25% in 2000. From a study of 62 random villages researchers found that two thirds of rural migration is to the cities, while in 1998 there were almost 17 migrants per 1000 people in urban areas.
These figures were presented by Rita Afsar in a paper on internal migration in Bangladesh at a three-day conference which concluded yesterday at the city's Sonargaon Hotel.
"Internal migration is important in terms of the sheer numbers," say Prof. Ronald Skeldon from the University of Sussex, who also took part in the conference which was titled 'Migration, Development and Pro-poor Policy Choices in Asia.'
"In addition, it is almost impossible for any government to accurately judge the number of its urban and rural populations, because these numbers are always changing. There are so many temporary and seasonal migrants."
According to Afsar, most internal migrants in Bangladesh were young adults, both male and female, between the ages of 15 and 34.
Surprisingly, three out of five
rural migrants find work in the cities within one week of arrival, earning between Tk 1500 and 3000 per month. Most migrants rely heavily on relations and friends to find housing and work and already have an idea about the kind of work they will do and where they will live, prior to arrival.
"Migrants are generally looked down upon," said Prof. Skeldon. "They are seen as peasants. That needs to change."
They face various problems after arriving in the city. Among them are the lack of low cost housing, physical insecurity, eviction from homes, skewed distribution of basic services and the resulting health problems.
"The Government needs to work with the internal migrants in solving their various problems," Prof. Skeldon commented.
Ninety seven percent of all the migrants arriving either live in slums or squat on public land. Although with time their living conditions improve.
The results of urban migration have been interesting and contrary to what theory states, reported Afsar. Instead of transferring rural poverty to urban areas, and rural resources (for example manpower) to cities, there is in fact a flow of resources towards the rural areas. Migrants send money back to their villages, which is used to improve living condi-
tions. In addition urban migrants often buy land and become absentee landowners, renting or leasing out their land to others in the village.
Rita Afsar's paper "Internal Migration and the Development Nexus: the Case of Bangladesh" can be found online at www.livelihoods.org
The conference was organized jointly by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Bangladesh, and the Department for International Development (DFID), UK.
The photographic exhibition accompanying the conference continues at the Drik Gallery.