Bangladesh is still a long way from achieving universal health coverage. Although the statutory health system, in principle, covers all citizens, many sick people are left untreated every year in practice. Private sector services are too expensive for many and out of pocket expenditures for health care are high. The provision and coverage of services for the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases is only just beginning. Quality of care in both public and private services is poor, with assessments of the quality of provider care reporting low levels of professional knowledge and poor application of skills in practice.