Causes and Consequences of Rural- Urban Migration in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study in Chittagong City

Abstract

Migration is a natural process where normally surplus manpower released from the rural sector is needed for urban industrial growth. This study aims at throwing light on central characteristics of migrants, determining factors and consequences of rural-urban migration in the context of Chittagong city, Bangladesh based on a survey of 100 randomly selected migrants and their families. From the dataset, it is found that poverty, job search, landlessness, homelessness, various natural disaster are the main push factors for rural out migration, while easy access to informal sectors and slum area, higher income probability, better service facilities are the main pull factors behind migration. The ordinary least square technique is applied on three regression models which indicate the determinants of income of migrants before and after their migration, change of income after migration. Reducing disparities between rural and urban areas should receive in urgent attention to stabilize the rural out migration.