But in reality among poor households, such clearly demarcated gender divisions of labour do not apply. The traditional gender relations with women's involvement in post-harvest work and men's in fieldwork have not remained static over time. In 1992-93, the country had a forest cover of only 1.89 million ha. Since early 1974, due to the conversion of forests into agricultural land and rapid urbanization, forests have declined markedly. Mangroves account for nearly half of the total forest cover.
Women use the forest products for food, fuel as well as for handicrafts.
Women in rural Bangladesh are responsible for obtaining the household fuel supply. They collect firewood from the forests. A traditional role of Bangladeshi women is collecting dung for fuel from the forests where cattle grazes. Women also have a major role in homestead forestry. Fisheries Fishing is predominantly artisanal although there is an industrialized processing sector geared to export.