Marriages and taking care of the elderly are the main causes for poverty

Oct 31, 2008 10:38 GMT  ·  By
Almost a quarter of the population in Bangladesh is living in extreme poverty
   Almost a quarter of the population in Bangladesh is living in extreme poverty

In Bangladesh, one of the most densely-populated nations in the world, some 35 million people struggle to survive at the lowest limit of poverty. In most cases, money paid on dowries is the main cause for people's misery. Although this is not legally accepted, payments to future relatives are still a common practice in the country, especially in rural regions. The family of the future husband receives sums of money roughly equivalent to 200 times the average daily wage.  

This burden is simply too great for most families, which cannot afford to pay that much. Parents of girls are coming to curse their children because they were not born males. The situation is very complex authorities say, because the intricate network of relatives and alliances that exist in most villages in Bangladesh is heavily relying on these dowry payments.  

On the other hand, the medical costs that have to be paid monthly to caretakers, for the treatment of older relatives, also place a considerable strain on families. In Bangladesh, professional health care is very scarce and very expensive, as doctors who settle in a region know that they could be the only ones there. So anyone who wants to be taken care of must pay.  

Dr. Peter Davis, working from the Center for Development Studies at the University of Bath, explains "Some families face a 'double whammy', having to pay wedding expenses and dowry for their daughters at the same time in life when elderly relatives are needing more expensive medical care." Considering that the regular dowry payment is in the upwards of 20,000 Taka (some 292 dollars) and that the average work day yields about 100 Taka ($1.42), it should come as no surprise that most families can't afford to pay these sums regularly.  

The study, which tracked some 2,000 households in over 100 villages, concludes that, unless a change in mentality occurs, it’s highly unlikely that the situation will change anytime soon. "The government in Bangladesh has already taken positive steps in increasing the enrollment of girls in schools, which should decrease the practice of giving and demanding dowry," Davis says.