Dhaka and Its Tremendous Population Growth

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Essay #1: Dhaka and Its Tremendous Population Growth Dhaka, Bangladesh is considered the fastest growing megacity in South Asia with a growth rate being 6% per annum (Beckel, 2001). Most of Bangladesh is located on the Ganges Delta which is very low lands making it very susceptible to flooding and severe weather. This very large growth rate is due to the catastrophic disasters occurring in most of the other parts of Bangladesh. These disasters are forcing large numbers of people to migrate to Dhaka in hopes to find a way to support their families. This massive migration of people to Dhaka has left the city in ruins of poverty and environmental degradation. Just last year alone there was a flood in Chittagong that killed 100 people in June, earthquakes in Damua in March, and tropical storms in Bhola in October that killed 19 people (Rahaman, 2012). These natural disasters have left many people from rural villages without any means to survive; therefore, they are forced to migrate to Dhaka, the center for most of Bangladesh’s economic markets, to try to make a new life. The most influential source of Dhaka’s fast paced population growth is definitely the promise of economic markets where one can support their family. With global temperatures on the rise, the increase of devastating natural disasters has led to massive amounts of migration to Dhaka. Dhaka plays the leading role in the production of rubber goods, books, furniture, foot wear, leather, electrical goods, and jute (Beckel, 2001). With many industries located in one area people are drawn to Dhaka especially when their homes are ravaged by flooding and famine. However, after arriving to Dhaka there aren’t as many job opportunities as one would believe. Dhaka is a city of extreme poverty, offering a stark difference between the rich and the poor (Beckel, 2001). About 35% of the population
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