In this early scholarly work, Professor Dr. Abul Hasan M. Sadeq explores the demographic divergence between industrial and developing nations. By analyzing fertility rates through an economic lens, he identifies the underlying causal factors that lead to high population growth in the global south versus the stabilized trends in the north.

Key Analytical Pillars:

• Causal Analysis: Investigating the impact of income levels, education (particularly female literacy), and healthcare access on reproductive choices across different national economies.
• Economic Implications: Analyzing how high fertility rates in developing countries affect capital-labor ratios, infrastructure pressure, and the overall pace of per capita income growth.
• Policy Framework: Discussing the necessity of integrated developmental policies—rather than isolated population control measures—to achieve demographic stability through improved living standards.
• Comparative Methodology: Providing a rigorous comparison of the demographic transition stages of Western nations versus the unique challenges faced by emerging economies like Bangladesh.

This 1982 paper reflects Professor Sadeq's early commitment to understanding the "human" variables in economic development, a theme that would later evolve into his extensive work on human resource mobilization and ethical economics.

Core Concepts: Fertility Differentials, Demographic Transition, Socio-Economic Development, Population Economics, Dhaka University Studies, AUB.