Half the Nation on the Brink: Poverty Surges to 28% in Bangladesh -- Three years ago, poverty stood at 18%. Today it’s nearly 28%. Another 18% of people are just one step away from falling below the line. That’s almost half the country at risk. Behind the numbers are real lives: • Daily earners waiting a week or more for work. • Families breaking into their last savings just to eat. • Shopkeepers unable to collect even 100–150 taka from customers. The Power and Participation Research Centre (PPR