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The State of World Population Report 2005 of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) projected the population of Bangladesh at 242.9 million (24.29 crore) in 2050, reports UNB
At the end of 2005, Bangladesh would have a population of 141.8 million (14.18 crore) with an average 1.8 per cent growth, said the report, released simultaneously across the world Wednesday.
UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh Suneeta Mukherjee unveiled the report at a function at the Jatiya Press Club Wednesday morning.
Director General of Family Planning Akmol Hossain and DG Mass Communications Abdul Mannan were present at the function.
The theme of this year's UNFPA report was 'Gender equality reduces poverty and saves and improves lives'.
According to the report, infant mortality in Bangladesh per thousand live birth was 54 in the year 2004 and life expectancy of male and female were 62.8 and 64.6 respectively, while maternal mortality ratio stood at 380 during the year.
The report said primary enrolment (gross) for male and female were 94 and 98, secondary enrolment (gross) for male and female were 45 and 50 respectively.
Women in the 15-19 age group gave birth to 120 of every thousand birth in Bangladesh where taking of any contraceptive method was 58 and taking modern method was 47 in the UNFPA indicators for 2004.
Speaking on the occasion, UNFPA Representative Suneeta Mukherjee said presentation of women at different levels of policy making was still very low although the government had taken various steps to empower women and reduce poverty.
The provision of women member's election in reserved seats of the local union council and the opportunities for women in the cadre services were among some of the achievements made by the government, she said.
Mukherjee said that in Bangladesh, high maternal mortality ratio (320-400 per 100,000 live births) and morbidity remains a concern.
"An estimated 12,000 mother die yearly from pregnancy related complications. The vast majority of deliveries (92 percent) take place at home and a skilled birth attendant is present at less than 14 percent of all cases," she said.
Terming Bangladesh a low-risk area for HIV/AIDS, she mentioned that HIV prevalence among high-risk groups was less than one percent except in Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) where it has reached 4 percent and in a small pocket in central Bangladesh where it registered 8.9 percent.
The UNFPA Representative said that in Bangladesh, 14 percent of pregnant women's deaths were associated with violence and injuries.
She criticised the non-implementation of existing laws and the consequent widespread ignorance of the legal repercussions of violent crime and the plight of its victims.
DG Family Planning Akmol Hossain told the function that the government was working hard to reduce the child mortality and maternal mortality.
DG Mass Communications Abdul Mannan said that to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in time, there was no other option but to educate girls and women. "If we can educate them, other goals will be achieved automatically."
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