'Relaunch family planning programmes'

They also stressed the urgency of relaunching the family planning programmes abandoned since 1999 and providing access of the people at the grassroots level to health and education services in order to empower them for improving their living conditions.

The speakers said this at the discussion organised by Life, a non-government development organisation, at its Dhanmondi office to mark the World Population Day.

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Life President Kamrul Islam Sony, Dr. Atiqur Rahman of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Youth Scholars' Council President Amirul Islam Babu, Life Joint Secretary General Minu Hussain Tutul and Arifuzzaman Alo of Satata Kalyan O Unnayan Samity took part in the discussion.

Life advisor Amanullah Khan in his keynote address said that despite the much-trumpeted success of population control policies claimed by the government, which had been more publicity than real achievement, the situation on the ground had not changed much.

He said the rate of population growth remained more or less static at around 2 per cent or slightly lower over the last decade as the government was unable to reduce it to the desired level. "This together with the increased life expectancy has made the problem worse," he added.

Home to one of the most densely populated areas of the world with about 2,400 persons per square mile, Bangladesh, at the current population growth rate, would witness the birth of over 2.6 million babies by the end of the year 2004, he said.