| dc.description.abstract | Despite its bustling urban centres in Dhaka and Chittagong, Bangladesh has a majority of
its population living in the sprawling rural landscape- around 68% of the population is
located in the country's rural areas. Although its contribution to the country's GDP is low,
the majority of the people living in these areas are also involved in agricultural workfarming,
keeping poultry and fish, etc. However, in the past few decades, there has been
an increase in income diversifying in the rural areas, meaning that there are more and
more different opportunities and types of work that people are turning to for income
generation besides agriculture. This means that there are notable changes in not just the
occupations, but also in the very social fabric of rural Bangladesh via changes in class
relations and circumstances, marriage and religious affiliations, greater connectivity and
literacy, and healthcare and educational opportunities. Many Government and
non-government agencies are working in the field in these areas, however, there is a
considerable gap in the research of rural society in its own nuanced context. That is the
gap that this report aims to fill.
The method adopted by this study is mainly qualitative. A group of 17 students from the
Anthropology Program at BRAC University visited the villages of the Ishwarganj Union in
Ishwarganj Upazila, Mymensingh, where the students were divided into groups each
covering a different relevant topic to gain a holistic understanding of the condition of the
villages. These groups conducted semi-structured interviews of random participants with
their consent, each in the field of their topic, e.g. students studying the rural market went
to the markets in the villages, while those studying the domestic units visited homes.
The overarching theme of the study was transformation. The mental image of the rural
areas of Bangladesh continues to be one of the traditional villages one may encounter in
the media, however, with the globalisation and greater infrastructure and connectivity,
that image is from a bygone era. This is the essence that the chapters of the study aim to
capture, and it was revealed through participant observation and interviews how the
villages of Bangladesh have considerably changed. The old systems of being mainly
connected through one’s family and ethnicity have evolved to now having homes known
for their prominent members’ occupations. The rural market and economy have greatly
diversified and now most products are readily available for most in the markets. Education
and healthcare have reached rural Bangladesh, which was once a struggle due to poor
infrastructure and access. This has also allowed governance and law to reach the rural
areas, which were previously governed by village courts or shalish. However, this means new challenges. Greater connectivity and globalisation have meant
that new kinds of problems are entering these villages. Newfound competitiveness has
made it difficult for old businessmen to keep up with demands, and farmers find
themselves at the mercy of market syndicates which dictate their ability to sell their
goods on the market. Many youths are facing drug addiction with the introduction of
synthetic recreational drugs like Yaba through the borders. Public education and
healthcare are still lacking and inefficient, leading to people having to find solutions
elsewhere, such as opting for a religious education for their children instead of a secular
government one, often leading to women and girls opting out of higher education entirely.
Moreover, old problems continue to persist in the form of dowry and child marriages but
manifest in new ways. Following the above, certain recommendations are made:
(1) Rural Social Structure: More households should adopt a mixed approach to income
generation to keep up with the diversifying economy. Besides this, more faith leaders
should become involved in the discouragement of dowry and child marriage.
(2) Rural Social Structure Contemporary Rural Economies: A more comprehensive
economic strategy should be developed, involving government initiatives, grassroots
measures and continuous research. Increased training and digital literacy should be
implemented to aid the transition from a traditional economy to a globalised economy.
(3) Rural Land Management: Sufficient knowledge about one's rights and inheritance is
still unclear, thus improving basic legal literacy and addressing these gaps before taking
policy measures to eradicate the key issue of land dispute.
(4) Rural Politics: The moderation of and fair government intervention into contemporary
capitalist change-making agents such as NGOs is necessary to ensure rural labour is not
exploited.
(5) Rural Governance and Law: The creation of an accountable and transparent
Government body is necessary, which can adapt to cultural changes and enforce
goal-based policies aiming for rural transformation and decentralising urban centres to fit
the needs of the rural populace. (6) Rural Infrastructure: Digital capacity-building workshops would be an invaluable
resource for both school teachers and medical practitioners. Providing incentives such as
mid-day meals led to the children being able to pay better attention and having a
significant improvement in their academic performance, creating economic incentives to
create jobs but also to make sure that the future labour force has appropriate levels of education. The healthcare institution requires proper transparency and communication
channels existing among the healthcare providers and officials. Easier transfer processes
of doctors and other staffers, and better logistical support (to avoid backlog) are
important in healthcare institutions.
(7) Impacts of Globalisation on Rural Bangladesh: Institutional efforts such as access to
medical aid and rehabilitation may help early-stage youth fight narcotics addictions.
Alongside this, widespread awareness programs for parents and youth should be held. | |
