Poverty reduction through enabling factors
| Published date | 02 October 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-07-2016-0049 |
| Pages | 310-321 |
| Date | 02 October 2017 |
| Author | Khurshed Alam |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management,Environmental technology & innovation |
Poverty reduction through
enabling factors
Khurshed Alam
Bangladesh Institute of Social Research Trust, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors which are instrumental to poverty reduction
opposed to many factors that are considered as impediments to poverty reduction in a poor country
like Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper is an outcome of review of literature covered wide range of
issues including sectoral contribution to economic growth but none has exclusively dealt with the
instrumental role of the poverty reduction factors, insider’s view, long-term observations (1960-2014), and
reviews of secondary data.
Findings –In order to reduce poverty, rather than attempting to change the “culture of poverty,”remove the
“structural trap,”or “kin system as poverty trap”it can be achieved through harnessing the enabling factors
of poverty reduction. Study argues that rather than focusing on “barriers”to poverty reduction, a country
needs to identify and focus on its “potential”factors of poverty reduction. The dominant enabling factors for
Bangladesh were agricultural development and remittance. The utilization of land and labor could bring a
transformation in the rural economy of Bangladesh which was essential to poverty reduction.
Practical implications –The study shows that the individuals can escape poverty largely through their
own effort where a proper policy support from the government is needed. The state needs to play the
facilitating role rather than the instrumental in the case of poverty reduction.
Originality/value –The paper reveals instruments to poverty reduction where usual practice was to
identify the barrier to development and to suggest the means of overcoming those barriers. It suggests how
to look into the matter from other way round where instead of identifying the barrier attempt should be made
to identify the enabling factors and to harness those enabling factors. The findings are basedon the country-
specific literatures but not generalized in the form as attempted here. The study shows a means of poverty
reduction where country-specific strategy or home-grown model can be drawn out based on the identification
of potential factors.
Keywords Bangladesh, Poverty alleviation, Culture of poverty, Kinship trap, Poverty trap
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Poverty has alwaysbeen a matter of concern for mostcountries of the world. In thecontext of
development, Bangladesh has been a target for insolence during its infancy. The infamous
comment of the former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger about Bangladesh being a
“bottomless basket”is widely known. On the other hand, Faaland and Parkinson (1976)
termed Bangladesh to be a “test case for development”saying that if Bangladesh could
develop economically, it should be possible everywhere else on the planet. Defying these
infamous notions,Bangladesh has emerged to be an example for development. To begin with
the brighter sides, an article by Dhume (2010) can be considered as a strong rebuttal to the
previous ill-comments against Bangladesh. Bangladesh canbe considered as an active global
propagator of new ideas such as Grameen Bank, and is expressed to be a “success story”
among international donors’vocabulary (Lewis, 2011). Former US Ambassador in
Bangladesh Dan Mozena stated that Bangladesh would transform from the “bottomless
basket”to an “overflowing basket”very soon. Secretary General ofInternational Chamber of
Commerce, John Danilovich during his visit to Bangladesh said that Bangladesh, being no
longer a test case, is a model country for the rest of the world.
Poverty studies so far covered multiple prime issues like measurement, types, causes,
methods and means of alleviation, models of poverty reduction, globalization and poverty,
climate change and poverty and so on starting from Adam Smith to till today. Each year
the UNDP through its Human Development Report presents a global picture on the
World Journal of Science,
Technology and Sustainable
Development
Vol. 14 No. 4, 2017
pp. 310-321
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2042-5945
DOI 10.1108/WJSTSD-07-2016-0049
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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WJSTSD
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