Seasonal poverty in Bangladesh, locally known as monga,
refers to seasonal deprivation of food during the preharvest
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 microcredit,
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.