Bangladesh’s Population Policy: Emerging Issues and Future Agenda

The well being of people can be affected by the policies regarding population growth. Policies can have devastating or constructive effects. Sometimes it is the absence of population policy that causes negative results, but other times it is the continuation of restrictive policies that directly influence health outcomes. Progressive national policies like those that delay age at first marriage, can save the young bride from death in early childbirth. Similarly, policies that ensure safe and voluntary family planning programmes can greatly enhance a woman’s opportunity to regulate her fertility. Conversely, policies that limit the availability of pregnancy termination consign women to unnecessary mortality and morbidity as they either bear children they cannot care for or resort to the unhealthy practices of illegal abortions.