Urbanization in Bangladesh: Some Contemporary Observations

Bangladesh, a densely populated country has been experiencing rapid urbanization in recent decades. The urban population, currently at more than 20 million, is growing at a much faster rate than the population as a whole and by larger annual increments than ever before. The process of urbanization is dictated largely by growth in population and as such the study of urbanization has assumed greater attention than before. This paper attempts to utilize the limited data available to provide some insights into the levels and trends of urbanization in Bangladesh. It also makes an attempt to elucidate the implications of urbanization. The 1991 census estimates 19.6 per cent of the total population as urban. This figure was only 15.2 per cent in 1981 and below 9 per cent in 1974. The proportion of the urban population in all the neighbouring developing countries, except Nepal, is relatively much larger (27 per cent in India, 22 per cent in Sri Lanka, 34 per cent in Pakistan and 26 per cent in Myanmar in 1991). Compared to other developing countries with a large population, Bangladesh remains behind in terms of the level of urbanization (Table I). However, the rate of urbanization has been faster compared to some other developing countries in the region