Census of Bangladesh population

Bangladesh has a population of 162 million of which 50% live below poverty line (BBS,2003). A quarter of the people in Dhaka living below poverty line are urban poor (CUS,2006). Its per head land allocation is about 0.28 acres and employment opportunity is mostly city oriented. 23.39% of the total  population live in the urban areas, 52% of which lives in 4 metropolitan areas like Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi. The mean density of the population of Bangladesh is about 906 persons per square kilometre. The capital city of Dhaka is the largest built-up area in the country - located on the bank of the river Buriganga. In Dhaka, 29,000 people live per sq.km, which is 32 times of the mean density of the total population of the country. Adequate and secured shelter is a basic human right, and is vital for the fulfilment of human aspirations (GoB 2004). Yet a staggeringly large number of inhabitants in Bangladesh in general and in the metropolitan city of Dhaka in particular do not have any shelter. The housing condition of Dhaka is truly miserable. This city contains more than 1 crore people of which only 15% have their own house.18% people live in colonies, 13% live in slums and 34% live in rented houses and the left 20% is floating. Every year the population of Dhaka increases by 1 lakh 60 thousand but the housing increases by 10 thousands which is 1/16th of the demand only. The urban poor have not enough money to build their own shelter. But every one wants to live at the centre of the city for his livelihood which resulted necessity of accommodation for the urban poor. The population of Dhaka city is about 11 million and area is 815.85 km2 (BBS, 2003). This Mega City is one of the ten largest urban centres in the world. There are over 4,500 slum and squatter settlements in Dhaka city and estimated total number of households is 112,670. Much of its growth stems from migration, with 46 percent of its 1991 population born outside the metro area. Rural to urban migration is attributed to extreme rural poverty and landlessness, and large urban-rural wage differentials (Ahmed & Ahmad, 2002; Khanam, 2004). Dhaka is likely to face tremendous challenges in expanding the existing infrastructure and avoiding deterioration of living standards due to congestion, pollution, and lack of basic services. These inadequate services and worsening environmental conditions disproportionately affect the urban poor, many of whom live in slums. Against this backdrop, this study attempts to focus on the nature, current status, problems and challenges concerning housing for urban poor in the selected locations in the city of Dhaka. It is  believed that the ‘poverty’ is the symptom of certain anomalies in the society – diagnosis of the root causes of the problem would help take appropriate corrective measures. None of the planning frameworks adopted so far for Dhaka directly addressed itself to dealing with the priority needs and  problems of the working poor, who constitute about 35% of the population.

Evaluating Accommodation situation in Urban poor in Dhaka

The Objectives and Method

The evaluation of housing situation for the urban poor has considerable potential for addressing the root problem of the shelter-less people. There has been strikingly limited research on this subject in the context of Bangladesh. The approaches, as deployed for this study, include the following:

,
Evaluating Accommodation situation in Urban poor in Dhaka

The area has been developed on a private land near the Kamlapur Railway Station. Basic utility services are available in the locality. There are more earning members in a single family. About 60% of the residents are literate, although the general level of awareness about health, environment and sanitation conditions is low.

The area has been developed centring an industrial zone in sub-urban areas of Dhaka. The urban poor living here are mostly engaged in various formal and informal jobs in and around the industrial zone, and depict some degree of community feeling. The area houses a good number of apparel industrial units, originally established at the city centre (at Mahakhali) and subsequently shifted to Gazipur as a part of a decentralization process. Field observations suggest that this process works well if housing facilities for the low income group could  be established centring an industrial zone that ensures better livelihood.

Type of Accommodation

Hotel – Short term overnight accommodation.

Resort – Accommodation providing a wide verity of amenities and recreational facilities. It is more about the experience. Usually used for vacation or getaways.

B & B – Some sort of breakfast is included with your hotel night stay. They breakfast to range from a drink or coffee with a roll to a full breakfast.

Home exchange or House Swap – This is exchanging your home for another house for a set time period. This is often arranged through a travel service or club that you join.

Apartment Rental or Flat – Usually has a kitchen, sleeping area and bathroom not shared.

Hostel – Shared bedrooms & bathrooms (anyone they rent them to – no choice of roommates) Some hostels have private bedroom or bathrooms at an extra price. Mostly used by young single travelers.

Pension – Usually a family run Bed and Breakfast

Motel – Rooms usually open out to a parking lot. As the name implies it caters mostly to motorists.

Lodge – Usually out in nature, often made from logs, wood or other natural material.

Yurt – A domed portable tent usually covered in skins. It reminds me of a domed teepee. Usually used for accommodations out in the wilderness.

Inn – An inn is a small hotel usually either in the country or with a pub or tavern. A lot of the time they also have food available there.

Campus or Dorm Room – College room style usually twin beds or bunk beds.

Capsule or Cube – Small sleeping cube or capsule, nothing but a bed. There are usually a shared area with TV and bathroom

Bungalow – A small house or cottage is often called a bungalow. People call all kinds of houses bungalows so check to see what it really is.

Villa – Usually a country estate made up of several buildings or structures tied together. In some countries a villa could be just a vacation house or in other places a detached or semi-detached house.

Extended Stay – Usually more like an apartment that rents by the week or month.

Resort – Along with the hotel room will be common areas amenities such as a swimming pool, dining, game room, workout facilities, etc.

Parador – A luxury state-run hotel

Guest House – A house used to rent on a short term basis for travelers

Unique Theme Accommodations – Lighthouse, Cave, Ice Hotel, Railway Car, Underwater Hotel, Tree House, Dog House, House boat, Hotel with theme rooms, Castle, Cabin, Airplane Hotel, Utopia Bubbles

Depending on the country that you are traveling the names of the type of accommodation may change. There are many different choices when it comes to picking your vacation accommodations. Maybe next time look through this list and see if there is one you would like to try that you hadn’t thought of before.

Accommodation condition in Bangladesh

If you are planning a trip to Bangladesh, you might want to start choosing your accommodation long before you reach in the country. There is a lot of selection and choice so you will be able to choose something that suits your needs. Whether you are backpacking through the country or touring it in style, you can be sure that there is accommodation in Bangladesh to suit you!

One of the most popular forms of accommodation is that of hostels. Bangladeshi hostels provide a good service at a very reasonable  rate so you will be able to spend more money on things like clothing, touring and mementos. Of course, the service level of each individual hostel cannot be guaranteed but generally speaking, those that choose this form of accommodation find it to be quite adequate. If the idea doesn’t appeal to you, you may choose to hire a guest house or better yet, book into a Bangladesh hotel. There are a number of cheap Bangladesh hotels available so even if your pockets are not that deep, you will usually be able to afford this sort of accommodation.

No matter what accommodation type you choose, you will find friendly faces and helpful staff. Tips are not required but are a great way to reward good service. And best of all, most staff understand English to some extent so if you are an English-speaking individual, you will find communication quite easy. Book your accommodation in Bangladesh now and avoid missing out on some great opportunities.

Definition of accommodation

1:something supplied for convenience or to satisfy a need: as
a :  lodging, food, and services or traveling space and related services —usually used in plural <tourist accommodations on the boat>
<overnight accommodations>
b : a public conveyance (as a train) that stops at all or nearly all points
c :  loan
2:the act of accommodating :  the state of being accommodated: as
a :  the providing of what is needed or desired for convenience
b :  adaptation, adjustment
c :  a reconciliation of differences :  settlement
d :  the automatic adjustment of the eye for seeing at different distances effected chiefly by changes in the convexity of the crystalline lens; also :  the range over which such adjustment is possible

1.a room, group of rooms, or building in which someone may live or stay.
"the cost includes airfare and hotel accommodations"
synonyms: housing, lodging(s), living quarters, quarters, rooms; More
2.
a convenient arrangement; a settlement or compromise.
"management was seeking an accommodation with labor"

synonyms: arrangement, understanding, settlement, accord, deal, bargain, compromise