Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid has said Bangladesh is not a poor country but suffering from mismanagement and corruption.
“We have abundant resources, but the real challenge now is utilizing them,” she said.
She made these comments as the chief guest at a discussion titled “PFS: Pollution and Public Health in Bangladesh” held at a hotel in the capital on Saturday.
Sharmin Murshid said: “The country we have inherited— even if angels arrived, it couldn’t be fixed in a few months. Still, we must stabilize it and hand it back to the political parties through elections. Bangladesh is not a poor country; it is a country suffering from mismanagement and corruption. We have immense resources, but the biggest challenge is how to harness them.”
She further said: “Political parties must become reform-oriented. We want every political party to reform itself and then come stand beside us. I make this humble appeal. Thirty thousand people in the country have become disabled, and 1,500 have died. This can never be erased.”
Addressing political parties, the adviser said: “Bring your well-thought-out ideas. We want to work together.”
“We are going through an extremely polluted phase. If the environment is destroyed, people’s safety is compromised. If you (the political parties) do not extend your hands, we will not be able to manage the situation. We are standing in a vulnerable position. Let us all work together to protect our rivers. Let’s save our rivers and people from pollution through PFS.”
The adviser reiterated: “The country we have inherited— even if angels came, they couldn’t fix it in a few months. Bangladesh is not poor; it is a country plagued by mismanagement and corruption. We have vast resources, but using them effectively is the real challenge.”