The average loan amount of each family in Bangladesh was Tk 70,506 in 2022, up from Tk 37,743 in 2016, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data shared recently. One-third of households in Bangladesh are now in debt. This information has emerged in the latest household income-expenditure survey of BBS. According to the survey, 37 percent of the country’s households have taken loans or borrowed money last year. Read more: Bangladesh's literacy rate rises to 74 percent, poverty down by 5.6 percent: Survey During the survey – from January to December last year, an average of 37.03 percent of households reported taking loans or borrowing money. In the 2016 survey, 29.70 percent of the households were borrowing. As such, in 6 years, the borrowing of families in the country has increased by more than 7 percent. Last Wednesday, BBS published the preliminary results of Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022. Read more: Bangladesh’s total labour force is 7.34 crore, 26.3 lakh are jobless: BBS More rural households in debt than in cities According to the BBS survey, more households in the villages are in debt than in cities. In rural areas, an average of 39.35 percent of families are in debt. In urban areas, this percentage is 32.11. In 2016, the average household debt in urban areas was 22.10 percent. And in rural areas that percentage was 32.70. Read more: Inflation rises to 9.33 percent in March, highest in 7 months In 2022, the number of households in debt increased by an average of 10 percent in urban areas, and by 6.5 percentage in rural areas, the BBS survey stated.

The number of power consumers under the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) in the country’s rural areas has reached 3.18 crore. Disclosing the information, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Tuesday urged the power officials to improve their services up to the satisfaction of the consumers. “Achieving customers’ satisfaction now should be our main target. You have to reach out the improved services to the doorstep of the consumers”, he said while addressing a webinar  organised by the BERB to observe the 15 August National Mourning Day 2021. Also read: If no hike in bulk power tariff, then no hike in retail, agree BERB, TEC   The virtual seminar, with BREB Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Moin Uddin in the chair, was addressed by Power Secretary Habibur Rahman and Power Cell Director General Mohammad Hossain. Nasrul said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken various steps to provide electrification services to the rural areas considering the economic development of the rural people.   “Erasing the difference between the urban and rural areas was the main goal of Bangabandhu”, he said, adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working to achieve the goal through expanding modern amenities to the villages. Also read:Uninterrupted affordable energy main challenge in future: Nasrul Hamid He said the power sector has been playing a vital role in implementing the “My Village-My City” programme to fulfil the pledges of the prime minister.     Nasrul also directed the BREB officials to use the improved technologies in rural electrification as well as encourage people to use energy efficient appliances for ensuring economic consumption of power.