56.85% of households use wood, chalk, chopped wood as cooking fuel: BBS

56.85% of the total households in the country use wood, chalk, chopped wood as the main source of cooking fuel. Apart from this, 17.52% of households use supply gas according to a recent survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The "Report on Socio-Economic and Demographic Survey 2023", published on 5 June.

According to the BBS report, recorded 69.59% households in the rural areas use wood,chalk, chopped wood as the main source of cooking fuel.  In urban areas the rate is 32.20%,

At the division level, Barishal holds the highest rate which is 87.64%. On the other hand, the percentage of using supply gas and LPG as cooking fuel is evident at 17.52% and 10.30% respectively. It is to be mentioned that among the divisions, the use of both supply gas and LPG is the highest in Dhaka, 43.81% and 14.03% respectively.

The survey observed that out of the total household of the country, 85.20% lack any mechanism for exhausting kitchen's smoke. As many as 7.18% of households have facilities with only a chimney followed by only exhaust fan, 5.88% and both chimney and exhaust fan, 1.18% for this purpose.

BBS report said, a proper ventilation system is vital in the kitchen. A kitchen without a smoke exhausting facility can cause suffocation and make it tough for someone to work freely. Kitchen smoke exhausting facilities are the materials or methods used to remove kitchen heat or smoke.