Role of Agriculture in Bangladesh Economy: Uncovering the Problems and Challenges

Abstract

Although modern economy is largely dependent on industrialization, agriculture remains the lifeblood for the economy of Bangladesh. Agriculture has been functioning in Bangladesh since long as a catalyst for sustainable development and growth of the country. Over time, the share of agriculture in GDP has significantly declined in Bangladesh but the contribution of agriculture to non-agricultural growth has maintained an upward trend. Thus, agricultural sector remains an irreplaceable driving force for economic growth of the country. Based on secondary data, the study intends to describe the role of agriculture in the economy of Bangladesh with a focus on problems and challenges of the sector. The main reason behind the loss of agricultural land in Bangladesh is the growth of rural housing followed by urbanization and industrialization. Residences of increasing population of the country are expanding at the cost of agricultural land. Despite many prospects of agriculture sector, some challenges are still present there. In order to address the challenges, a number of collaborative and coordinated steps should be initiated. As the food security is a major concern for Bangladesh, necessary steps should be taken to conserve agricultural land from its shifting to non-agricultural utilization.

Keywords: Challenges, Contribution, Growth, Agriculture, Bangladesh