"While Bangladesh has come out of the 'shadow of famine', the problem of starvation persists. About 24 percent of the total population currently live in extreme income poverty," it said.

Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) in cooperation with the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC) of UK carried out the study styled 'The State of the Poorest 2005-2006--Chronic Poverty in Bangladesh: Tales of Ascent, Descent, Marginality and Persistence'. It was jointly edited by researcher Binayak Sen and David Hulme.

The study mentioned that around 31 percent of the rural population presently suffer the indignity of chronic poverty -- low consumption, hunger and under-nutrition, lack of access to basic health services, illiteracy and other deprivations, for more than a decade.

"Accurate figures are not available for urban areas, but in effect between 25 and 30 million of the country's citizens are chronically poor," it said.

While it is clear that Bangladesh does not provide an easy context for poverty reduction, the recent economic growth in the country, improvements in services and the resilience and innovation of the poorest all augur well, it said.

Bangladesh will not help its poorest if it believes that 'growth alone' should be the policy focus, the study noted.

Prof Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), spoke as the chief guest at the launch of the study. Dr Quazi Shahabuddin, director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), presided over the ceremony.

Presenting the overview of the study at the BIDS conference room, Binayak Sen said if inequality continues to rise the poorest will face the prospect of 'anti-poorest' growth in the future. "To avoid this situation the government will need to pay increasing attention to policies to moderate inequality," he observed.

However, the study said overall Bangladesh is well on its way to achieve most of the millennium development goals (MDG) except income poverty reduction (goal 1/target 1), reduction in maternal mortality rate, and perhaps reduction in under-five mortality rate.

It is also lagging behind in respect of the key social indicator: adult illiteracy, it said adding there is a possibility that the easy gains have been achieved and more effort will be needed to continue to make progress.

MDG attainment will require that all routes to poverty reduction are pursued -- economic growth, improved governance and state service delivery, continued NGO contributions, and community action and cooperation.

Growth is essential if the poorest are to be helped out of poverty. But the quality of growth is as important as the quantity of growth, the study said in one of the six main elements of its strategic framework.

Growth alone will not be sufficient for the chronically poor to escape their poverty. Public action by the state, NGOs, communities and private citizens is needed to reduce the livelihood insecurity that keeps poor people poor and drives the vulnerable into abject poverty.

Infrastructure support is necessary for both rural and urban areas, it said adding that the government must take reform of the tax system seriously to finance public investments in poverty reduction for the poorest.

Access to finance and other assets is critical for the graduation of chronically and extremely poor people, the study said adding that efforts must be made to help the poorest achieve a minimum level of citizenship.

Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, former adviser to caretaker government, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, managing director of PKSF, and Dr Quazi Mesbahuddin Ahmed, member of the Planning Commission, spoke as special guests, delivering lectures on different aspects of poverty.

Reviewing the study, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), said there is a need to devise a mechanism for addressing the poverty issue in a different manner.

"It is necessary to ensure policies taken do not increase the problem," he observed.