Study on residential shift of the remittance receiving households

Abstract

According to BMET, from Bangladesh over 6 million persons temporarily migrated to other countries and they sent US$ 56.99 billion remittance (7th highest remittance earner in 2007) during 1976 to 2008. These remittances have significant impacts on income generation and poverty alleviation. Now question arises; does the remittance receiving households being economically empowered shift their residence from original locality to nearby towns or bigger cities or at least to growing rural centers (i.e. growth centers) in search of better facilities? If yes then how much influence does the remittance have on the decision of residential shift? In such dilemma, traditional migration laws and theories put forward during the 50s- 80s of the last century were reviewed and found that many of the points go in line with the residential shift and many does not due to remittance flow in the rural areas of Bangladesh. However, no study has been found to discuss the residential mobility of the remittance receiving households in Bangladesh. That is why this study would like to examine the dynamism residential shift of the remittance receiving household and causes behind it. It might contribute in formulation of policies and in designing of secondary and tertiary urban centers for redirecting people from original locality. The study has been conducted through study of related literature, survey of migration statistics from different secondary sources and a questionnaire survey of 216 remittance receiving households from 3 upazilas of 3 Districts. In the very beginning of the study it has tried to discuss the dynamism of residential shift of remittance receiving households through Generic statistical analysis and complex Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) have been followed for analyzing and prioritizing the factors (push and pull) influence the shift to study the hypothesis. It is found that 28% of the remittance receiving surveyed household has already shifted their residence after receiving remittances and 43% do have their future plan to shift their present residence in near future. Among them largest portion have their plan to shift in Dhaka city (37%) and district town (25%). And statistically (Chi Square Test) it was verified that the location of residential shift varies across the surveyed upazilas. Major considerations for residential shift (those who have already shifted) were educational facility followed by staying close to relative, transportation facility, trade opportunities and security. Whereas while considering future residential shift, remittance receiving households mentioned better residence with urban amenities (62%) followed by educational facility (52%), trade opportunities (57%) and transportation facility (42%) would be their major concern. It was also revealed that respondent’s considerations for residential shift were not consistent across the surveyed upazilas through Chi Square test. Then upazila wise relative weight of the factors was analyzed through AHP and found that respondents from three different upazila also prioritized the factors differently. Transportation (0.28), educational facility (0.28) and trade opportunities (0.29) were most important to the sampled respondents of Nabinagar, Hathazari and Chauddagram Upazila respectively compared to all other factors. Importance of investment and educational facility were evaluated as valued factors of residential shift everywhere. Finally considering the relationship (relative weight) of residential shift and its influencing factors, government could take policies to develop small urban centers, satellite towns or could expand the small towns ensuring the urban services concerned by the study to fasten people in the small urban centers and to redirect people from shifting their residence to big cities like Dhaka, Chittagong etc.