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Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh
Since independence, Bangladesh has made great strides in reducing poverty. Today the nation is self-sufficient when it comes to food, population growth has stabilized and industry is expanding. However, poverty is still widespread, particularly in rural areas where lack of jobs and land make it difficult for people to earn a living. To support the Government tackle poverty, UNDP is working with both national policy-makers and community leaders in the following areas:

Local Governance: With the aim of enabling rural and urban communities to address their development needs, UNDP is promoting broader participation in local decision making as well as building the capacity of locally elected bodies to better deliver services. Experiences gained at the community level feed into policy-making initiatives, which are also supported by UNDP, and aimed at developing a national framework for improving local governance nation-wide.

Increasingly UNDP coordinates growing donor interest and supports the drafting of policy studies covering issues related to local governance.

Pro-Poor Policies: Integrating poverty reduction objectives into national policy and increasing employment opportunities for poor people are crucial to reducing poverty in Bangladesh. Therefore, at the request of the Government, UNDP is supporting the development of practical policy options that fosters economic growth that benefits the poor. Also, to see how economic policies affect the poor, UNDP is supporting the introduction of assessment systems that can evaluate policy impact.

Projects on Poverty Reduction

Local Governance

BGD/97/001 - Building Capacity for Local Government

BGD/97/C01 - Sirajganj Local Governance Development Fund

Macro Policies

BGD/96/009 - Non-Formal Employment

RAS/02/060 - Macroeconomics of Poverty Reduction (Phase-I)

Poverty Reduction

BGD/98/009 - Community Livestock and Dairy Development Project