Of Bangladesh
Background
Bangladesh is a developing country located in the South that has been wrought with poverty since it first gained independence from Pakistan back in 1971 (Economist). Bangladesh was seen by many as a country that would always be dependent on foreign aid (Economist). It is a country that is overcrowded and a place that experiences extreme weather “its people are crammed onto a flood plain swept by cyclones and without big mineral and other natural resources” (Economist). Bangladesh has a history of famines and military coups that have affected it growth over time. With all the environmental and political roadblocks that Bangladesh has faced many observers doubted that it could survive as independent state for too long. However, over the past 20 years Bangladesh has surprised the world by being a country that has made one of the biggest strides in improving the basic condition of its peoples’ lives (Economist). It has greatly improved the life expectancy “Between 1990 and 2010 life expectancy rose by 10 years, from 59 to 69. Bangladeshis now have a life expectancy four years longer than Indians, despite the Indians being, on average, twice as rich” and this rise in life expectancy applies to poor just as much as the rich (Economist). Bangladesh has made great strides in other areas as well, such as education and health. The enrollment rate of girls in school rose drastically in a short time, more so than even the boys “more than 90% of girls enrolled in primary school in 2005, slightly more than boys. That was twice the enrollment rate in 2000” (Economist). Another stride that has also been seen is infant mortality, it has been dramatically reduced “… more than halved, from 97 deaths per thousand live births in 1990 to 37 per thousand in 2010” (Economist). While all these strides made over Bangladesh’s young history, there
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