Demographic goals and family planning targets in Fourth Five Year Plan of Bangladesh: how realistic?
Islam, M.N.; Islam, M.M.
Asian Profile 21(1): 57-68
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0304-8675 Document Number: 510410
Review of past performance indicates that the demographic objectives set forth in Bangladesh's Fourth Five Year Plan may be difficult to realize unless serious efforts are made to influence the key variables that accelerate fertility decline. Serious administrative and organizational difficulties, lack of complementarity and mutual support and apathy amongst the cadres are making the programme ineffective, whilst the present level of maternal, neo-natal and infant mortality are believed to be higher than that documented in the plan. The current debate is highlighted, which centres on whether the present number of acceptors can be increased primarily through the extension of services, whether more intensive family planning education would be more productive or whether much larger numbers of acceptors can be recruited only after socioeconomic changes have taken place. It is recommended that the government give equal emphasis to supply and demand of family planning and regular evaluation of the official demographic programmes.