Bangladesh has made progress in improving health and safe water provision. Yet poverty remains deep and widespread.
ActionAid in Bangladesh
ActionAid began operating in Bangladesh in 1983, and now works with 62 partner organisations and over half a million people to address poverty and injustice.
We particularly focus on adolescent girls and young women, street children, disabled people, indigenous communities, landless people and those at greatest risk of contracting HIV & AIDS.
As well as addressing their immediate needs with practical services such as education, healthcare and savings and credit groups, we also help community groups to lobby local authorities and influence government policies.
Bangladesh is vulnerable to flooding and cyclones and stands to be badly affected by climate change. We are helping communities and institutions throughout Bangladesh to build the skills they need to face future hazards.
We also provide immediate assistance in emergencies to protect lives, incomes and assets, working hard to ensure that our work reaches the most vulnerable people.
We work to raise awareness of trafficking, which affects thousands of Bangladeshis each year. In 2002 we developed an anti-trafficking citizens' committee to monitor the situation and speak out about it to local communities. The committee has been directly involved in the rescue of trafficked girls.
HIV & AIDS prevalence is low but poverty, drug addiction, migration and unemployment all make people vulnerable to the epidemic. ActionAid organises awareness raising activities and provides health, counselling and referral services.
With four children and a husband earning very little money, Rahima Ali found it hard to provide enough food for her family. She started giving free sewing lessons to destitute women, and sold the goods in stores.
Training and credit from an ActionAid partner programme has enabled Rahima to open her own boutique. She now employs 30 workers, producing all kinds of hand-crafted garments. Rahima says,
"I dreamt from childhood that I would stand on my own two feet. I have done so, through hard work, dedication, patience, and invaluable help from micro-credit."
Essential Stats
| Bangladesh | Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 164.9 billion (2009) | 21.5 million (2009) |
| Area | 143,998 km2 | 7,703,581 km2 |
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | $111.3 billion (2009) | $970.6 billion (2009) |
| GDP per capita | $673 (2009) | $44,598 (2009) |
| Human Development Index |
0.524 (2009) |
0.965 (2009) |
| Life Expectancy (male/female) | 63/65 (2005-2010) |
79/84 (2005-2010) |
| Adult Literacy | 47.5% (1995-2005) | 99% (1995-2005) |
SOURCES: IMF, UN Data, Human Development Index, UN Statistics
