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Poverty remains a formidable development challenge in many developing countries. The Sustainable Development Goals aim to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, and eliminate discrimination, ensuring that no one is left behind. To design effective policies, it is essential to understand the nature, causes, and spatial distribution of poverty. This paper uses nationally representative data to examine the status, trends, and drivers of multidimensional poverty, along with its spatial distribution and underlying causes in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), a hilly region of Bangladesh that is home to 12 ethnic communities. Despite national progress in poverty reduction, the CHT has lagged behind, with approximately 46% of its population living in poverty. Food insecurity also remains a serious concern; 25% of households are food insecure, facing multiple and overlapping sources of deprivation. Many households lack access to electricity, quality housing, livelihood assets, safe drinking water, healthcare services, and quality education. The persistence of poverty in the CHT is linked to geographic isolation, poor infrastructure, ethnic marginalization, and limited economic opportunities. These interrelated challenges create overlapping deprivations that are difficult to overcome. To effectively address these issues, the Bangladesh government must adopt a holistic approach that considers geographic, territorial, and cultural differences, as well as the rights and interests of tribal people.
Rasul et al. (Sat,) studied this question.