| Overview : The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) has traditionally been characterized as one of the least developed regions of Bangladesh. The predominance of a weak agricultural sector based mainly on subsistence farming; the remoteness of the region poorly connected by physical infrastructure with the rest of the country; and the lacking implementation of the CHT Peace Accord are among the frequently mentioned reasons for the prevalence of poverty in all three districts of CHT. Poverty rates in CHT are monitored through a variety of surveys and indicators. Whereas the Report of the Household Income & Expenditure Survey 2010 (HIES 2010) by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) reported the national incidence of poverty at 31.5 percent (below Upper Poverty Line) and extreme poverty at 17.6 percent (below Lower Poverty Line), a major Household Survey conducted in 2013 by the Human Development Research Centre (HDRC) reported 74 percent poverty and 52.4 percent extreme poverty in CHT. On most key development indicators all CHT districts are remaining behind plain land districts’ development progress, which was confirmed by the Government of Bangladesh’s newly published Millennium Development Goals Progress Report 2013.The BBS published in 2014 the Bangladesh Poverty Maps 2010, which presents the majority of CHT upazilas as considerably more developed than the rest of the country. The maps are the result of Small Area Estimation calculations utilizing data from HIES 2010 and the Population and Housing Census 2011 by BBS. The objective of the assignment is to conduct comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the relevant indicators and available data to assess poverty in CHT, and propose a framework for practical application to guide development efforts of the Government of Bangladesh and development partners. This includes analysis and comparison with indicators apart from poverty rates (which are based on consumption models only), such as WASH, nutrition and market access. It will also entail broadening the analysis with these indicators may give a more comprehensive overview on development progress and challenges in a complex and difficult accessible geographical area as the CHT. The assignment is expected to contribute to an improved understanding of the intra-CHT poverty rates as well as the poverty in CHT relative to other parts of Bangladesh. |
