Everything is there: world's largest sea beach, lavish resorts, gentle green valley to attract tourists and all other facilities for a smooth civic life. But nothing awaits the poor dwellers of a hamlet in the resort town.

About 7,000 families of sandy Kutubdiapara village, along Cox's Bazar airport close to the Bay of Bengal, are leading a sub-human life for over a decade virtually deprived of education, medicare and other basic facilities mandated for all citizens in the country's constitution.

"It's darkness under the light. There is no apparent difference in the life of these poverty-stricken villagers with those of primitive age," said Shamsul Alam, a town dweller of panoramic Cox's Bazar town.

Set up haphazardly in the 90s with thatched houses, narrow lanes and by-lanes, and sandy and dusty environment are a common sight of Kutubdiapara.

Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, a local official of the Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB), informed that population growth, illiteracy, early marriage and malnutrition are common features of the village which so far denied the blessings of the government.

During the visit, it was found that most of the couples in the village have an average of six children.

A local female NGO health activist, Anjuma Khanam, who works in the village, informed that the practice of polygamy is very high in the village and the number of abandoned wives very large.

The 3-kilometre long Kutubdiapara village was set up with people who lost their houses and belongings during the devastat-

ing cyclone in 1991. Later, some Rohingya refugee families also joined the community.

From the beginning, local people said, no government facilities were offered for improving the life of these wretched people, rather the local administration tried to evict them several times as the habitat is close to airport, but failed due to spirited resistance by the dwellers.

"Last year, they (administration) tried to evict us, but in the face of our resistance they were compelled to go back," said Abdus Salam, a middle-aged day labourer of the hamlet.

Despite all the frustrating aspects, a slow but steady psychic change has been taking place among the new generation in the hamlet, especially in the area of reproductive health and education with the help of FPAB.

To raise the awareness level among adolescent girls and fertile women, the local chapter of FPAB, a partner organisation of the EC/UNFPA's Reproductive Health Initiative (RHI) programme, has been making hectic efforts since last year.

The FPAB field representatives educating the villagers on how to overcome adolescent problems, ensure safe motherhood and make family size small in a bid to come out of poverty cycle.

Eleven-year-old Taslima, who did not get the chance to go to school, is now aware of health problem and the adverse consequences of early marriage and unbridled population growth.

When asked, Taslima said she doesn't like early marriage and early motherhood. "I'll not take seven children like my parents," said the shy girl sitting on a wooden bench at a counseling room of the village.

She said 'Apa' (female health worker) meets us once a week and advises us on different issues.

Anjuma Khanam, a communitybased health worker under the RHI programme that includes adolescent healthcare and safe delivery, said most women of the village are malnourished and suffer from anemia. But despite poor health, they must work hard everyday to manage a square meal.

"As the women of this hamlet do not have any say in decisionmaking, they fail to play any role in keeping the family size small," she lamented.

To overcome the situation, UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh Suneeta Mukherjee, during a two-day RHI Annual Review meeting on January 21-22, emphasised on creating awareness among the male population to ensure their participation in the RHI programme for achieving a tangible and sustainable benefit from the programme.

Without ensuring participation the decision-making male population, any kind of development is impossible, she said. Dwelling on the subject, the UNFPA Representative urged the development partners to ensure gender equity and equality in the RHI programme.

Commenting on the RHI programme of Kutubdiapara, Dr Ashok Kumar Chowdhury, an official of local FPAB, remarked that the physic change that already took place among the adolescent and women community in the last one year is "a great achievement for us."

"We've a target to go for integrated and intensive programme for the neglected community. We're hopeful to bringing a change among them," he said.