1418 add to Dhaka population everyday

As many 1418 people are adding to the population of Dhaka city everyday increasing the headcount by 5,17,500 each year on average. The city population would cross 2 crore after seven years with this steady growth. 

It was revealed in an analysis of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the National Institute of Population Research and Training. 

According to the analysis, around 1 crore and 64 lakh people are now living in the capital city while the total population of the country stands at 15 crore 62 lakh.

The population increase rate of the country is 1.37 percent while the rate for the cities is 4.16 percent. The aggregation of the people living in three other major cities — Chittagong, Sylhet and Rajshahi — is 67 lakh.

A senior researcher of NIPORT Subrata Bhadra said people are coming to the capital city for availing civic amenities, in particular, education. Out of the 82 public and private universities in the country, 60 universities are in Dhaka city. Among the total 75 public and medical colleges, 28 colleges are situated in the capital city.

Urban analyst and former UGC chairman Professor Nazrul Islam termed the capital city as a city of opportunities. The city has provided work for 18 lakh garment workers, 10 lakh construction workers and 5 lakh rickshaw-pullers.  

Experts said that housing crisis is one of the main problems of the city. Around 30-35 percent people of the city live in the unhygienic slums without proper water supply and sanitation facilities.