Poverty and Income Seasonality in Bangladesh

Seasonal poverty in Bangladesh, locally
known as monga, refers to seasonal deprivation of food
during the pre-harvest season of Aman rice. An analysis of
household income and expenditure survey data shows that
average household income and consumption are much lower
during monga season than in other seasons, and that seasonal
income greatly influences seasonal consumption. However,
lack of income and consumption smoothing is more acute in
greater Rangpur, the North West region, than in other
regions, causing widespread seasonal deprivation. The
analysis shows that agricultural income diversification
accompanied by better access to micro-credit, irrigation,
education, electrification, social safety net programs, and
dynamic labor markets has helped reduce seasonality in
income and poverty in regions other than Rangpur in the
recent past. Hence, government policies should promote
income diversification through infrastructure investments
and provide income transfers to the targeted poor to contain
income seasonality and poverty in this impoverished part of Bangladesh.