Akm Ahsan Ullah

Rural poverty alleviation through NGO interventions in Bangladesh: how far is the achievement?

Purpose - This paper seeks to analyse the current poverty situation and poverty alleviation efforts of the NGOs in Bangladesh with emphasis on the impacts of two NGO programmes in two villages of Barisal district. Design/methodology/approach - This research has employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The research has primarily used first-hand empirical data. In order to substantiate primary data, relevant secondary information has also been used. Data were collected through household survey by applying both open- and closed-ended questionnaires. With a view to analysing data, inferential as well as descriptive statistics have been applied. Findings - The findings revealed that the economic condition of the poor in the study areas has not improved much when judged against some selected indicators, namely, income, food and non-food expenditure, productive and non-productive asset, food security, and employment creation. The Foster Greer Thorbecke index shows that the majority of the NGO beneficiaries remained below the poverty line in terms of income and the overwhelming majority of them remained below the underemployment line (less than 260 days of work in a year). The regression analysis shows that the income of the households is determined by landholding size, family labour, days suffered from morbidities and employment opportunity. The qualitative data on the perception of beneficiaries on the causes of poverty endorse this finding. Originality/value - Controversies over the issue of widespread poverty in Bangladesh have been revolving among the government, NGOs and the donor agencies as well. NGOs have been claiming the entire success of the economic wellbeing made to the rural poor. However, this study has directly challenged their claims by casting an empirical lens on the impact of their interventions. This study has detected the paucities of the NGO interventions and gaps between their objectives and their achievement.

HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma and Discrimination: A Study of Health Care Providers in Bangladesh.

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are stigmatized and looked at negatively by people at large. Stigma, discrimination, and prejudice extend its reach to people associated with HIV-positive people such as health providers, hospital staff, as well as family member and friends. Studies demonstrate that, in low-income countries, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, health providers’ views toward the HIV-positive individuals is not very much different from the general population. The study has been qualitative in nature and conducted among health providers such as physicians and nurses attached to different hospitals. The study was conducted from March 2005 to May 2007. The study shows that 80% of the nurses and 90% of the physicians’ behavior with the HIV-positive individuals were discriminatory. They talk to their patients standing far from them. The interview revealed that the spouses of the physicians and nurses in charge of the HIV-positive individuals put pressure to stop serving the patient or even quit the job. The notion that HIV is only transmitted through sexual activities is prevalent among them. Interestingly, although the physicians know well about the routes of transmission, they do not believe it by heart. Therefore, their fear of being infected makes them discriminate against the HIV-positive individuals. HIV-related stigma remains a barrier to effectively fighting this pandemic. Fear of discrimination often prevents people from seeking treatment publicly. There are evidences that they were evicted from home by their families and rejected by their friends and colleagues. The stigma attached to HIV/AIDS can extend into the next generation, placing an emotional burden on them.

Rohingya Refugees to Bangladesh: Historical Exclusions and Contemporary Marginalization

Rohingya refugees from the Arakan state of Myanmar found their ways a number of times to Bangladesh to escape state-sponsored persecution. While there is no dearth of studies on refugees, Rohingya has so far received very little research attention. This article tries to understand the dynamics and severity of reported humiliation by the government on the Rohingya population, and how are they marginalized in their destination points. A qualitatively and quantitatively designed questionnaire was used to interview 134 refugees from two existing camps in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses reinforce that the level of abuse and persecution perpetrated upon them surpass all human rights standards. This was confirmed by both the in-depth and the case studies. These people were forced out by state-sponsored persecution and again they are forced to be repatriated due to the fact that Bangladesh cannot afford to welcome them back.

Remitting Money to Bangladesh: What Do Migrants Prefer?

This paper looks into the remittance channels used by Bangladeshi labor migrants in Hong Kong and Malaysia and examines the reasons why they prefer particular modes of money transfer. Data were collected from 126 respondents (56 in Hong Kong and 70 in Malaysia) through a survey conducted during June 2004 to October 2005. An overwhelming majority of migrants preferred unofficial over official channels in transferring money. According to migrants, the informal channels are quicker in transferring money and the exchange rate is higher than the formal channels. They recognized though that there is a considerable amount of risk in remitting through informal channels.

Refugee Politics in the Middle East and North Africa

1. Rights, Safety and Identity: The Context of Forced Mobility in the MENA 2. MENA: Geopolitics of Conflicts and Refugees 3. Refugees in Camps: Anatomy of an Identity Crisis 4. Refugee Safety and Humanitarianism Discourse 5. Refugee Rights, Protection and Existing Instruments 6. Arab Uprising and New Dimensions of Refugee Crises 7. Discussions and Policy Implications

Premarital Pregnancies among Migrant Workers: The Case of Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong

Abstract This paper deals with premarital pregnancies of women living away from their place of origin as Foreign Domestic Helpers (FDHs), a population that is mostly from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand and comprise 5 percent of the population in Hong Kong. All of the women workers studied here moved to Hong Kong alone, on two years contracts with the possibility of extension. This paper tries to identify the factors in their becoming pregnant while abroad, outside of wedlock and the ensuing consequences on their economic, health and social lives. Randomly selected, 336 FDHs (211 Filipinas; 72 Indonesians; and 53 Thais) were interviewed, using both closed and open-ended questionnaires. Preliminary findings show that 97 percent of the respondents had premarital sex and of them 36 percent became pregnant. About 61 percent of the pregnancies were “unwanted’ while 39 percent were “wanted’ pregnancies. This study is of immense significance as premarital pregnancy subsequently determined the life trajectories of the women; and it has crucial policy implications for both the governments of their countries of origin and destination.

Mother’s Land and Others’ Land: “Stolen” Youth of Returned Female Migrants

Abstract This article, part of a major research project dealing with return migrants, delves into the feeling of loss experienced by female return migrants who migrated in their youth and returned home as older women. Analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data confirms that most of the respondents regretted their decision to migrate mostly because they thought it had harmed their marriage prospects. Many of them also felt that their long absence from home had weakened their roots in the family and community. A substantial number of respondents rued that the professional skills they possessed before migration had become redundant in the country of their origin as they were not able to use these while they were away.

How International is International: A Study on International Marriage Migration in Asia

Marriage is an ever-evolving institution for human beings. Migration for the purpose of marriage has increased in volume in the last two decades in Asia, partly due to the forces of neoliberalism. The growth of international marriage migration (IMM) has affected significantly the traditional practices associated with marital unions. Evidence suggests that IMM has emerged in different patterns in different parts of the world. Southeast Asia (SEA) and East Asia (EA) are both examples of a unique pattern of IMM emerging. However, as an attempt to counter feminist discourses that have largely positioned marriage migration as exploitative, this chapter examines drivers of such patterns from women’s perspectives. This paper argues that the context-specific patterns of marriage migration may offer women empowering opportunities, rather than marriage migration being always inherently exploitative. At the same time, it acknowledges the exploitative factors that can define these relationships. Based on data collected from 33 couples, this paper addresses the motives of the women of SEA and East Asia in choosing international marriage migration, demonstrating both their agency and structural oppression.

Migrant Remittances in South Asia: An Introduction

Making decision in order to set off for international destinations is hardly independent of potential economic benefit that spawns in the form of remittances. The primary motivations for migration from developing coun- tries are generally linked to economic opportunities overseas and sharing part of this newly acquired economic opportunity with family members remained behind (Skeldon, 1997; Faist, 2000; Oda, 2004; Piper 2007; de Haas, 2010b; Ullah, 2010; Adams et al., 2012; Rajan, 2012; Sirkeci et al, 2012). Remittance — one of the direct outcomes of international migration - is the most beneficial private transactions in the global economy. This often stems from relatively developed economies and goes to the migrant households located in the developing economies. The South Asian region draws nearly one-fourth of global remittance volume that contributes on average to over 10 per cent of GDP of South Asian countries. This remark- able amount and its potential for development to South Asia justify this volume. By focusing on the manners and means by which the South Asian migrant communities remit back to their countries and the implications of remittances for recipient families and communities, the chapters of this volume seek to contribute to expanding scholarship in the field of remittance.

Asian Immigrants in North America with HIV/AIDS

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