Playing with fire: No exist in sight for 47%

Playing with fire: No exit in sight for 47%

According to a recent survey of 3,200 workers in 28 factories by the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a platform of 26 US-based clothing retailers and brands, 47% of garment workers say they cannot leave their factory buildings quickly in case of an emergency. Although 30% felt that they were at high risk of fire, an upsetting finding was that 45% of the respondents had not been trained in fire safety.

#bangladesh #bangladeshinnumbers #rmg #fire #firesafety

Source:
www.thedailystar.net/factory-exits-difficult-to-find-11073

How many to die from cold in 2014?

How many to die from cold in 2014?

In 2013, Bangladesh faced the lowest temperature in 68 years, as low as 3 degrees Celsius, killing 200 people (mostly in northern parts of Bangladesh. How many will die in 2014? Millions of homeless people in the country (3.4 million in Dhaka alone) are vulnerable to the cold.

Sources:
khabarsouthasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2013/02/14/feature-02
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2928094/
reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/80-dead-temperature-hits-record-low-bangladesh
www.dhakatribune.com/environment/2014/jan/09/lowest-temperature-year-recorded

Land wealth of 8 AL leaders rise 49 times in 5 years

Land wealth of 8 AL leaders rise 49 times in 5 years

"A random scan of the wealth statements of eight ruling party lawmakers and leaders recently submitted to the Election Commission reveals their lust for land and how aggressively they got hold of it as much as they could during the last five years. Just five years ago, as per their 2008 wealth statements, the eight owned only 71.417 acres of land. They now own 3,508 acres of land. The pieces of land are worth a couple of thousands crore taka," writes Hasan Jahid Tusher of The Daily Star.

Source:
www.thedailystar.net/love-for-land-knows-no-bounds-5075

Heroes of Humanity

Heroes of Humanity

Being imprisoned in our own city, we lose a little bit of ourselves everyday. In moments of weakness, its easy to get caught up in anger and hatred. In these moments, remember the heroes who risk their lives to keep humanity alive.

#bangladeshinnumbers #humanity 

Sources:
newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2013-04-18&nid=46447
www.thedailystar.net/the-star/2013-a-rollercoaster-ride-4096
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=664418396943878

Can a National Election be a Charade?

Can a National Election be a Charade?

Maybe it can. Find out this January 5th, 2014 at the 10th JS Polls; where 5.5 billion Bangladeshi taka will be spent at 38 thousand voting centres to allow 91 million voters to cast their vote. But, alas, 52% of these voters have only one candidate to vote for!

Sources:
www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2013/12/03/7010
www.thedailystar.net/please-do-not-hold-jan-5-elections-4167
www.newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2013-12-23&nid=77762
www.newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2013-07-04&nid=55566

In the red

In the red

With the majority of days in Nov-Dec 2013 marked by hartals/ blockades, Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity (BDMS), a platform of around 25 lakh shop owners, is reporting fall in daily sales by 80%, from 25 billion taka per day to 5 billion taka per day.

Source:
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/shop-owners-struggle-to-stay-afloat/

Is it time to cry over spilt milk?

Is it time to cry over spilt milk?

200,000 dairy farmers cry on every hartal - they lose money on 4.9 lac litres of milk on each hartal or blockage since milk goes bad fast. Bangladesh has the lowest milk consumption per head in the region, and imports milk every year to fulfill local demand.

Sources:
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/2-lakh-milkmen-in-a-quagmire/
www1.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=334931$date=2013-06-01&dateCurrent=2013-06-09

You are Collateral Damage

You are Collateral Damage

What's your life worth in Bangladesh? BDT 500? That's what people are paid to torch vehicles during hartals and blockades. As of 6 Dec 2013, 58 people have died (in the last 10 days) - count your blessings as you were not one of them.

Sources:
www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2013/dec/06/hartal-profitable-business-some-poor-children-women-used-proxy-activists
www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/dec/07/yet-another-blockade-begins-three-days

Costs Flying High?

Costs Flying High?

According to an analysis done by Bonik Barta, Dhaka's newly inaugurated Jatbari Flyover (Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover) is the MOST expensive flyover in the world - costing 2.1 billion BDT per km, 337% more expensive compared to Kolkata's Batanagar Flyover.

Source:
bonikbarta.com/sub-editorial/2013/11/18/22561/

Lost in the Dark

Lost in the Dark

3.7% of Bangladesh's population, or 6 million drug addicts, spend 70 million taka everyday on drugs. Although drug abuse is much lower in Bangladesh compared to India and Pakistan, it is a growing at an alarming rate, employing 100,000 people.

Sources:
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/drug-abuse-alarmingly-rising-in-bangladesh/
www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)61426-9/fulltext
www.castlecraig.co.uk/blog/11/2013/addiction-india
www.tealeafnation.com/2012/07/a-look-at-one-of-chinas-fastest-growing-consumer-goods-illegal-drugs/
www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2012/jul/02/drug-use-map-world

I am Dhaka

I am Dhaka

Home to 14.6 million people, I am the most densely populated city in the world. I produce 23% of Bangladesh's GDP.

Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhaka
risebd.com/2013/03/09/a-look-into-dhaka-bangladesh-the-most-densely-populated-city-in-the-world/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megacity
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_proper_by_population_density
archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=258340
www.bbs.gov.bd/webtestapplication/userfiles/image/National%20Accounts%20Reports/GDP/GDP_2011-12%20(p).pdf
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_GDP
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megacity

Not even a fighting chance

Not even a fighting chance

While we push each other around in the cities fighting to get a slightly larger piece of the pie we don't need, let us remember that 46% of children in Bangladesh stay hungry everyday. Bangladesh has the world's HIGHEST malnutrition rate.

Sources:
www.facebook.com/bangladeshinnumbers
southasia.oneworld.net/news/bangladesh-has-highest-rate-of-malnutrition-in-the-world#.Uo77ZicVPIU
www.unicef.org/sowc2011/pdfs/SOWC-2011-Main-Report_EN_02092011.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_in_Bangladesh

Healthcare in Bangladesh - A Low Blow

Healthcare in Bangladesh - A Low Blow

Bangladesh has one of the lowest nurse to people and hospital bed to people ratios in the world, and a strikingly high incidence of self funded healthcare.

Sources:
www.facebook.com/bangladeshinnumbers
kff.org/global-indicator/hospital-beds/
kff.org/global-indicator/physicians/
kff.org/global-indicator/nurses-and-midwives/
kff.org/global-indicator/out-of-pocket-expenditure-on-health/

What kills people in Bangladesh?

What kills people in Bangladesh?

17.11% of all deaths in Bangladesh is a result of heart disease - the proportion is far greater than the global rate of 11.24%. But, heart disease is the top most cause of death. Check out how many lives are lost to other diseases, and to road accidents, which has made its way to the top 10 causes of death.

Sources:
www.facebook.com/bangladeshinnumbers
who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/
www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/country-health-profile/bangladesh

Tit for Tat?

Tit for Tat?

There is finally a decision on minimum wage for RMG workers - BDT 5,300, a decision that BGMEA has recently accepted, although this is BDT 800 greater than their proposal of BDT 4,500. In lieu of their acceptance, BGMEA has made requests for favourable policies that outweigh the additional cost of BDT 800 by 23%.

Bangladesh in Numbers is extremely grateful to Zahid Hussain, Senior Economist of the World Bank, for the analysis used in this infographic.

Data Sources:
www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/new/2013/11/12/3597
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/tk-5300-rmg-minimum-wage-announced/
bdnews24.com/business/2013/11/13/rmg-bosses-accept-minimum-wage
www.bangladeshchronicle.net/index.php/2013/11/rmg-manufacturers-can-find-good-partners-in-s-korea/
www.bgmea.com.bd/chart/number_of_employment_in_garment

Not Simply Black or White

Not Simply Black or White 

The 1320 MW Rampal power project ensures that Bangladesh has the power it needs to keep growing, but threatens the sustainability of the Sundarbans.

Sources:
www.facebook.com/bangladeshinnumbers
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/forest-fears/
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/why-the-eia-study-is-not-acceptable/
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/rampal-gets-rolling/

High Priced Convenience

High Priced Convenience 

Despite high mobile internet prices in Bangladesh, 95% of the country's 33 million internet users access the internet from their mobile phones!

Sources:
www.facebook.com/bangladeshinnumbers
www.dhakatribune.com/money/2013/jun/23/mobile-internet-costlier-bangladesh-neighbouring-countries
www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=171715:33-million-internet-users-in-bangladesh&Itemid=122

Bangladesh & Internet - A Phenomenal Growth

Bangladesh & Internet - A Phenomenal Growth

20% of all Bangladeshis (33 million) now access the internet - a phenomenal growth from only 617,300 in 2009! 95% of us access the internet from cell phones.

Sources:
www.facebook.com/bangladeshinnumbers
www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=171715:33-million-internet-users-in-bangladesh&Itemid=122
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/bangladesh-secures-161st-spot-in-internet-usage/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Bangladesh
www.netindex.com/download/allcountries/

Cox's Down by 95%

Cox's Down by 95%

Most of us stay home or move about cautiously during hartals, trying our best to avoid violence. For the 5,000 who have lost their jobs from hotels and tourist services in Cox's Bazar, hartal has dealt them a fate far worse than the wrath of an angry mob. It has robbed them of their livelihoods.

Sources:
www.facebook.com/bangladeshinnumbers
www.wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/bangladesh2013.pdf
www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/tourists-cancel-trips-as-political-unrest-lingers/

He lives through his stories...

He lives through his stories...

Remembering the master storyteller, Humayun Ahmed, on his 65th birthday.

Sources:
facebook.com/bangladeshinnumbers
archive.thedailystar.net/magazine/2012/08/01/special.htm
bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/07/20/book-industry-still-gloomy
caravanmagazine.in/books/know-thy-neighbour
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humayun_Ahmed
articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-16/rashidul-bari/33233941_1_bengali-literature-bangladeshis-fictional-character