Addressing the needs of marginalised communities remains a hindrance to achieving SDGs

Social exclusion, limited access to public services, and insufficient government safety nets often limit the development of social groups like the bede or the hijra communities. Photo: TBS

In Bangladesh, marginalised groups include a diverse range of communities that face various forms of exclusion. Socially marginalised communities, historically positioned in lower social strata, often suffer from limited economic opportunities and mobility. Traditional occupations confine economically marginalised groups, hindering their ability to transition. 
Bangladesh achieved the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015 and aims to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. However, challenges, particularly in addressing multidimensional poverty and vulnerabilities among marginalised communities, hinder progress. 
Overcoming these hurdles due to social exclusion, limited access to public services, and insufficient government safety nets requires targeted interventions. Tackling these deeply ingrained challenges demands specialised actions to break the cycle of marginalisation and poverty.
Due to location constraints, geographically marginalised populations struggle to access public services, resources, and entitlements. This includes ethnic minorities, Dalits, persons with disabilities, sex workers, urban drifters, remote area residents, internally displaced individuals, elderly beggars, river nomads, and hijra.
In Bangladesh, marginalisation stems from a variety of factors. Dalit communities face social exclusion because of their lower caste status and limited social mobility. Occupational limitations marginalise groups such as sex workers and river nomads, also known as bede. 
Economic non-participation marginalises some individuals, such as elderly beggars and urban drifters. Social stigma compounds challenges for people with disabilities or fatal illnesses. 
Gender identity, particularly for Hijra individuals, is another significant factor in social exclusion. Geographical locations such as char, haor, hilly, coastal areas, and islands, along with displacement due to river erosion, salinity, climate change, natural disasters, and poverty, further intensify marginalisation.
In their 2023 study, 'Citizens' Assessment of District Level Social Safety Net Programs (SSNPs), Health, and Education-related Services,' BRAC found that different communities had different levels of access to health care, primary education, and social safety net programs. 
The study highlighted that individuals from hard-to-reach areas (37%), internally displaced persons (38%), and ethnic minorities (40%) face greater challenges in accessing these services compared to other marginalised groups. 
The findings indicate that 45 districts received moderate scores (ranging from 41% to 60%), while 19 districts scored lower (ranging from 21% to 40%) in terms of these services. The survey included 2,872 respondents from 10 marginalised groups across 64 districts.
Lower scores in hard-to-reach areas suggest that marginalised communities living there face challenges in accessing primary education, health services, and family safety nets.
The adverse effects of climate change in hard-to-reach regions have exacerbated the challenges faced by communities, particularly ethnic minorities in Bangladesh. Their remote locations and limited access to resources and infrastructure make them more vulnerable. These communities heavily depend on natural resources for sustenance, relying on climate-sensitive ecosystems like forests and wetlands.
Erratic weather patterns, intense rainfall, and stronger river currents exacerbate erosion, leading to a surge in climate-induced migration within Bangladesh. This phenomenon causes rivers to submerge schools, markets, institutions, and entire villages, leaving people in dire need of shelter and livelihoods. 
Climate migrants frequently face hardship as they seek refuge in makeshift shelters near dams, often located in remote and inaccessible areas.
Coastal communities in the southern and southwestern districts of Bangladesh face heightened vulnerability to climate change impacts, notably due to more frequent cyclones, sea level rise, and coastal erosion. 
Residing in highly exposed areas, these communities are at risk of losing their homes, land, and livelihoods to storms and cyclones. Additionally, the introduction of saltwater into their drinking water sources damages crops, exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition. 
Char and Haor regions in Bangladesh, characterised by river islands and wetlands, represent unique ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to climate change. These areas' inhabitants, known as char and haor people, are among Bangladesh's most vulnerable groups. 
Flash floods, in particular, pose significant threats to the lives of marginalised communities in these regions. The catastrophic flash floods in Sylhet, Sunamganj, and Netrokona districts in 2022 affected over 7 million people.
A severe drought is affecting several districts across the Rajshahi, Khulna, and Rangpur divisions in Bangladesh. Farmers in these areas are grappling with water scarcity, making irrigation costs prohibitive for small and medium-scale farmers. 
Additionally, soil degradation and crop losses have compelled marginalised communities to forsake farming for alternative livelihoods.  
Addressing the dual challenges confronting marginalised groups—lack of development and the compounded impact of climate change—requires a robust plan and budget. These challenges exacerbate issues related to health, well-being, livelihoods, and children's education within these communities. 
Students in hard-to-reach areas encounter significant barriers to accessing educational institutions, resulting in higher dropout rates compared to other regions. This situation increases the risks of child marriage and child labour among children in these areas. 
Despite increased budget allocations over time, addressing issues of accessibility, availability, and quality of education remains imperative. The current number of primary and higher secondary schools in hair, char, coastal, and hilly regions is insufficient, especially in the most remote corners of districts. 
Therefore, it is critical to increase budget allocations in the national budget, particularly for hard-to-reach areas, to improve the availability and accessibility of primary education.
The scarcity of hospitals and public diagnostic centres in hard-to-reach areas has left marginalised communities, particularly women, children, and the elderly, in precarious health situations. The lack of safe drinking water and proper sanitation further compounds public health risks. 
In these areas, infant and maternal mortality rates are significantly higher. Moreover, despite a substantial population residing in these regions, there is a shortage of ambulances at health complexes, hampering access to emergency medical services. 
To address these challenges, it is critical to allocate more budgetary resources to improve healthcare services for marginalised communities living in these remote districts.
Despite the existence of some social safety net schemes for hard-to-reach areas, the allocation falls short in comparison to the number of impoverished residents in these regions. 
While the social safety net budget has seen slight increases over time, coverage remains limited for marginalised populations. There exists a significant disparity between the eligible population for social safety nets (17.7 million) and the actual number covered (7.511 million). 
The BRAC study revealed dissatisfaction with various aspects of the social safety net, including beneficiary selection processes, allowance amounts, food quality, service delivery institutions, and feedback mechanisms.
Explicitly allocating additional funds in the budget to support marginalised communities in hard-to-reach areas is imperative. Formulating a bottom-up budget with the active participation of the people and tailored to the specific needs of these regions would be instrumental in effectively addressing their challenges. 

Mohd Rubayat Ahsan and Abu Said Md Juel Miah are development researchers, currently working at BRAC Advocacy for Social Change.Sketch: TBS

Mohd Rubayat Ahsan and Abu Said Md Juel Miah are development researchers, currently working at BRAC Advocacy for Social Change.

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