Less people floating
Bangladesh's floating population in 2014 was 50 percent less than what was in 1997, revealed a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) census report launched yesterday.
The initial population comprised 24,439 males and 7,642 females. Afterwards with Hijras included in the enumeration for the first time, the number of males, females and Hijras found last year were 12,509; 4,078 and 34 respectively.
Along with “Census of Slum Areas and Floating Population-2014”, the draft of “Health and Morbidity Status Survey-2014” was also launched at a ceremony at Parishankhyan Bhaban in the capital's Agargaon.
The slum census, conducted from April 25 to May 2 of 2014, included all city corporations, pourasavas, upazila sadars not announced as pourasavas and 17 unions near Dhaka's two city corporations.
The health and morbidity survey was conducted in June 2014 throughout Bangladesh using multi-purpose sample design of BBS and covering 37,500 households, 20,025 in rural areas and 17,475 in urban.
A key finding of the slum census was the improvement in dwellings and toilet facilities.
While the number of tin/Kutcha structures (bamboo stick walls with thatch roof) increased, Jhupris (makeshift low shacks) decreased.
In case of toilets, sanitary ones (water sealed) increased from 7.93 percent to 26.25 percent while hanging ones decreased from 53.80 percent to 8.63 percent.
The slum census says that over 84 percent of households own mobile phones while another 16.80 percent took to rickshaw-pulling as the main source of income.
However, there are more garment workers than rickshaw-pullers -- 13.18 percent and 6.92 percent respectively.
Among the floating population, 14.19 percent are day labourers, 10.18 percent do not work, and 9.33 percent are rickshaw/ van pullers.
The health and morbidity survey showed morbidity to have decreased and fever as the most prevalent disease.
Besides, it showed an increase in communicable diseases and the prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and heart diseases to be higher in urban areas compared to rural ones.
Buses and motorcycles were identified as the two main vehicles causing accidents and injuries, as reported by 17.12 percent and 11.66 percent of respondents respectively.
The reports will be available on the BBS website soon, said BBS Deputy Secretary and programme director Jafor Ahmad Khan.
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