Location: Khajurtali, Sadar Upzilla, Lakshmipur District, Bangladesh,
Date: 1st September, 2025
Organization: ALO (Animation Liberate for Organize)
Report By: Kazi Altaf Mahmood
Video Link: https://youtu.be/bNOck4aLo9c
Executive Summary
In the remote village of Khajurtali, Laxmipur Sadar Upazila, a widow battles daily to sustain her family against overwhelming poverty, severe health issues, and inadequate shelter. This episode of “The People’s Voice” reveals her challenges: supporting five members through irregular domestic work, coping with a personal tumor, and addressing her son’s kidney condition and her mother’s heart problems without affordable treatment. Such experiences reflect broader patterns of rural deprivation in Bangladesh. The interview, combined with recent data on regional and national trends, highlights urgent requirements for housing, medical care, and education. National poverty has declined from near 90% post-independence to 18.7% in 2022, yet rural areas like Lakshmipur face higher rates, estimated around 21.6% in 2023 for rural zones overall. Chronic health conditions, including kidney disease with a prevalence of 22.48%, exacerbate vulnerabilities in these communities. Identified gaps demand immediate interventions: secure housing, treatment funding, and educational access. Failure to act perpetuates preventable cycles of hardship.
1. Individual Needs and Family Needs
This section examines the personal hardships outlined in the interview, presenting them as both individual difficulties and indicators of larger systemic problems. The family head, a widow without spousal, paternal, or fraternal support, manages all responsibilities single-handedly. Her requests for basic housing and medical aid illustrate how personal setbacks escalate into comprehensive family crises.
1.1 Key Findings at the Family Level
The household comprises five members: the widow, her two daughters, her son, and her elderly mother. They reside on a small inherited plot from her father, insufficient for construction due to financial constraints. Income relies solely on her domestic labor in local homes, diminished by her tumor-related health decline. The son’s kidney disease requires specialized care beyond their means, while the mother’s fractures and heart condition remain untreated, straining limited resources. Education suffers from cost barriers; only one daughter attends school. Primary challenges include health deterioration, unstable earnings, and substandard living conditions. Essential support involves a modest home for stability, funding for medical treatments to restore functionality, and assistance for children’s schooling. These requirements focus on essentials for survival and opportunity.
1.2 Methodology for Family-Level Data
The analysis derives directly from the episode transcript, capturing an in-person interview in Khajurtali. The dialogue covers family composition, income sources, health concerns, and daily struggles, as elicited by the interviewer. Details underwent verification for consistency, such as member count and need identification, ensuring reliability. This qualitative method prioritizes authentic voices, offering depth over broad statistics.
2. Regional and National History of the Issue and Need
Poverty and unmet needs in areas like housing and healthcare have persisted in Bangladesh since independence, evolving from crisis levels to gradual improvements amid ongoing disparities. National progress shows resilience, but districts like Lakshmipur highlight enduring challenges rooted in historical vulnerabilities. Data from 2022-2024 sources inform this overview.
2.1 Regional Context
Lakshmipur district, in Chattogram division, exemplifies rural Bangladesh’s difficulties: inadequate infrastructure, flood susceptibility, and reliance on agriculture or fishing. Rural poverty rates stand at 21.6% in 2023, higher than urban figures, with extreme poverty affecting vulnerable groups. Riverbank erosion displaces residents frequently; 6% experience displacement more than four times, leading to land loss and economic instability. In affected areas, over 70% of households earn below 10,000 BDT monthly. Health challenges prevail: diarrhea affects 86%, malnutrition 87%, and skin diseases 71% among displaced populations, with chronic kidney disease rates at 22-29% in rural settings—exceeding urban averages. Housing remains precarious; 79% occupy kutcha structures prone to weather damage. Poor connectivity hinders aid, intensifying isolation in upazilas like Sadar, where density reaches about 755 per square kilometer, overburdening resources.
2.2 National Context
Bangladesh’s poverty history began with rates near 90% in 1971, amid war and famine. Early interventions included rations and relief, expanding to comprehensive programs like widow and elderly allowances. By 2022, the national rate reached 18.7%, extreme poverty at 5.6%, down from 44% in 1991, driven by industrial growth, remittances, and the National Social Protection Strategy. COVID-19 temporarily elevated estimates to 29-40%, with 2024 projections showing extreme poverty at 5.1%. Rural poverty exceeds urban at 20.5% versus 14.7%. Non-communicable diseases rise: ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease (11-13% prevalence) rank high in disability-adjusted life years. Housing deficits persist, particularly in rural areas impacted by erosion, with urban shortages projected at 8.5 million units by 2030. Social welfare covers key areas but gaps in reach leave remote households underserved. Advances continue, yet climate risks threaten reversals by 2050.
2.3 Alignment of Needs
The family’s demands for housing, healthcare, and education align with Lakshmipur’s erosion-driven displacements and national rural patterns. Her health issues parallel widespread CKD and heart conditions; the inherited plot underscores housing instability amid environmental threats. Educational barriers reflect poverty’s impact on literacy (76.8% nationally, lower in rural areas). Effective responses integrate local measures, such as erosion protections, with national welfare enhancements for comprehensive coverage.
3. Methodology
The report bases family details on the episode transcript, supplemented by quantitative insights from sources like the World Bank, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, and studies from 2022 to 2024. Searches included terms like “poverty rate Lakshmipur 2022” and “health statistics rural Bangladesh” to ensure balanced perspectives. Data selection emphasized recent figures, with verification to mitigate bias—prioritizing statistics over media interpretations. The appendices’ pie chart allocates priorities based on family statements and regional trends. This approach yields an evidence-based, practical assessment.
4. Needs Assessment Findings
The evaluation reveals how family-specific gaps contribute to wider susceptibilities. Health and housing emerge as pressing risks, with education and income posing sustained threats.
4.2 Existing Resources and Gaps
Available assets prove minimal: intermittent labor and partial schooling through determination. No referenced government support appears, such as widow allowances or health subsidies, missing Khajurtali’s margins. Deficiencies include unaffordable care (73% regionally unable to buy medications), exposed housing (89% landless among displaced), and curtailed education. Nationally, welfare provides foundations but overlooks isolated cases; rural healthcare lacks staff and facilities. Addressing these requires mobile health units, housing grants, and fee exemptions—essential steps to prevent further decline.
6. Resource Requirements
Immediate action calls for fundamentals: 500,000-1,000,000 BDT for a durable tin-roofed home, aligned with rural standards. Medical needs entail 200,000-500,000 BDT for initial kidney and heart interventions, plus subsidized ongoing care. Education demands 50,000 BDT annually per child for costs. Income enhancement involves training or micro-loans (100,000 BDT) to shift from casual work. Regionally, invest in erosion barriers (government-scale millions). Nationally, increase social spending by 2-3% additional GDP for rural protections. Collaboration with NGOs like BRAC ensures delivery, fostering long-term durability.
8. Conclusion
The plight in Khajurtali exposes critical failures in Bangladesh’s poverty alleviation efforts. National reductions from 90% destitution to under 20% demonstrate capability, but rural districts like Lakshmipur necessitate precise measures: reliable homes, available treatment, and educational pathways. Overlooking these stalls’ advancement, confronting them builds equity where resilience already exists. Stakeholders must prioritize targeted support—ending eras of incomplete solutions.
9. Appendices
Solid data supports the analysis, drawn from 2022-2024 sources with verification links.
- Poverty Rates: National 18.7% (2022, BBS/World Bank). Rural 21.6% (2023). Extreme national 5.6%. Link: https://pip.worldbank.org/country-profiles/BGD
- Health Statistics: CKD prevalence 22.48% overall. Heart disease is the leading DALY cause. Among the displaced in Lakshmipur: diarrhea 86%, malnutrition 87%, skin diseases 71%. Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367535175_Analysis_of_the_Livelihood_and_Health_of_Internally_Displaced_Persons_due_to_Riverbank_Erosion_in_Bangladesh
- Housing and Displacement: 6% displaced >4 times; 79% in substandard kutcha homes. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623523000077
10. References
Asian Development Bank. “Poverty Data: Bangladesh.” Asian Development Bank, 2024. https://www.adb.org/where-we-work/bangladesh/poverty.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. “Poverty Map of Bangladesh 2022: Small Area Estimation – District and Upazila Results.” ReliefWeb, February 4, 2025. https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/poverty-map-bangladesh-2022-small-area-estimation-district-and-upazila-results-december-2024.
Hossain, Mohammad Bellal, et al. “Analysis of the Livelihood and Health of Internally Displaced Persons due to Riverbank Erosion in Bangladesh.” Journal of Climate Change and Health, vol. 10, 2023, 100212. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623523000077.
Rahman, Md. Rejaur, et al. “Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in Bangladesh: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” International Urology and Nephrology, vol. 53, 2021, pp. 713-718. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343624196_Prevalence_of_chronic_kidney_disease_in_Bangladesh_a_systematic_review_and_meta-analysis.
The Lancet Global Health. “The Burden of Diseases and Risk Factors in Bangladesh, 1990–2019: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.” The Lancet Global Health, vol. 11, no. 12, 2023, pp. e1931-e1942. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(23)00432-1/fulltext.
World Bank. “Country Profile – Poverty and Inequality Platform.” World Bank, 2024. https://pip.worldbank.org/country-profiles/BGD.
World Bank. “Bangladesh Overview.” World Bank, 2024. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/bangladesh/overview.
