In spite of doing a good job of keeping the growth rate in check, the truth is that Bangladesh still has a serious overpopulation problem.
At the heart of the problem is the fact that the average age for women having their first child is too low -- this means new generations are born within shorter spans of time, thus causing the population to grow faster relative to other countries where women have children later.
The reasons for getting married early -- and thus having children too soon -- are largely connected to the lack of agency in women’s lives, which they often feel will be solved through marriage.
The solution, then, lies in empowering women, financially and socially, so that they stop feeling the pressures of starting a family before they are ready.
