MICROFINANCE AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN BANGLADESH: PERSPECTIVE FROM SOCIAL WORK

Poverty alleviation has been a perpetual challenge to the contemporary world. Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest countries and about 45% of the total population are living below the poverty line. It is vital for Bangladesh to re-evaluate its policy on poverty alleviation in which microfinance has been a crucial element. Microfinance is now being recognised as one of the most impetus and effective mechanisms for poverty alleviation. Poverty leads to many problems in the society. Lack of access to education, family disintegration, poor quality of life, lower health status, unavailability of safe water, lack of sanitation, and absence of social life, are the major effects of poverty. It is the contention of this paper that social work by acquiring a community development role can help microfinance policy makers develop new policy or reverse existing policy for poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. Social work can also influence actors involved in the field of poverty alleviation from local and international humanity institutions or organisations to adopt new findings to minimise the issues of poverty.