My father recently joined Facebook and every week he emerges from his self-made “music studio” and excitedly announces the latest batch-mate from BUET, his Cadet College or even primary school. The locations of his buddies catch my attention. Like my father, who migrated with his family to Australia via Botswana, many of them made their homes and careers outside Bangladesh. The destinations are diverse, from the expected such as the US to more uncommon ones such as Norway.
As the list of nations rolls off his tongue a clear picture of lost intellectual capital to wealthier nations emerges. The challenge now is to provide reasons and mechanisms for those who have already established themselves abroad to make contributions to Bangladesh. There is a multitude of interweaving issues from the emotive such as identity, duty, familial ties to the practical such as business transparency and formulating incentives.
The rationale for those leaving Bangladesh, referred to as non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs), and settling elsewhere is simple; a better life for themselves and their families. This motivation is not absolved by social background, from labourers to lawyers; it is the same for all those who decide to make their lives abroad. The affinity for Bangladesh remains strong amongst the diaspora. This is sustained by the extended family, which remain in Bangladesh and the sheer volume of Bangladeshis in most large cities, creating readymade communities and social outlets. It is this bond that helps NRBs retain the perception of Bangladesh as their homeland and be prepared to invest.
The traditional mechanism for support has been through remittance, and according to Bangladesh Bank, $14.2bn has injected in for the 12 months ended June 2014. This has paved the way for institutions such as NRB Global Bank to provide a recognised medium to utilise these inflows. While remittance will remain the cornerstone of the contributions for those abroad, globalisation and the willingness of the next generation to be part of the international conversation facilitates the diversification of methods.
To understand what potential contributions NRBs may make, an understanding of how they have progressed is required. They are now into their third and sometimes even fourth generations and have had opportune time to integrate themselves into their new homelands. Ingratiating themselves into the culture from a young age has meant the distinct disadvantages faced by the first generation such as the lack of domestic experience, recognition and cultural understanding has subsided. In other words, the starting point for the subsequent generations is the same as the wider society. As a second generation Bangladeshi-Australian myself, I only need to look at those I have grown up with and I will find highly successful doctors, barristers, bankers, accountants, engineers and entrepreneurs.
As a sidenote, it is worth recognising the immense sacrifice that the first generation of Bangladeshi migrants have had to make and continue to make to ensure that the subsequent generations can fulfil their potential. In many cases it means taking positions well below their intellectual capacity and market value, simply because of their origin. This is not to say Bangladesh would have catered to these people, on the contrary, the lack of opportunity is the primary reason many had left, a somewhat catch-22 scenario. It can be a tough grind for the ones who make the first jump and will remain so, as Bangladeshi experience and education still carries little weight internationally.
There is undoubtedly a dormant network comprising of successful people across all industries and educated across all institutions. However, support and encouragement is required so these people can make large, scalable positive impacts in Bangladesh. Sentiment will only sustain a minimum contribution, rather a capital approach is more suitable and a clear value proposition needs to be established. Bangladesh has a large labour force and is constantly up-skilling to compete globally not only on cost but also on quality. It serves as the primary opportunity for those looking to making strong returns. This is not to say it has to be restricted to a monetary form.
In the modern context where even the most menial tasks are shared, the first and immediate scope is to engage with the NRBs to fill in knowledge gaps. There are many areas in which expertise have been attained and may not be in Bangladesh. This cuts across various industries from the established such as medicine to emerging ones such as insurance. There is potential to undertake such knowledge sharing through videos, social media, conferences and articles.
Bangladesh is also increasingly engaging internationally and in doing so, facilitating contacts and networking will play a crucial role. Connections are required at both ends, those looking to access into Bangladesh and those from Bangladesh outward. NRBs have a significant advantage, with one foot in each population they are in pole position to be the point of contact.
These are some simple notions and truthfully it is not idea generation that is going to be the issue. Fundamentally, it is translating these ideas into reality and ensuring that all parties act in good faith. There are clear hurdles that need to be addressed in order for the risk to be worth the reward.
The preeminent issue is the lack of transparency in both the public and private spheres. The political instability and muddled relationships with the business world looms large over anyone wanting to commence any task. The effect is compounded for those who have limited networks in Bangladesh, particularly later generations of NRBs. It is not immediately clear who or what is reliable and how one may be able to find their way into Bangladesh. The lack of clarity and understanding of a viable approach perpetuates the perception of risk and needs to be reversed.
Leadership is required and ideally it starts with political, business and industry leaders, many of whom have strong NRB networks. However, it may be those farther down the chain that can make the most impact, particularly those returning after studying abroad and the young bright sparks who will always remain in Bangladesh. The graduates educated abroad, especially those who have spent time working are often welcomed back with open arms and are highly sought after. They are in an ideal position to open avenues for both NRBs and Bangladeshis.
Finally, there are those from the latest generation who have grown up in the digital world and may never leave Bangladesh. What makes this group especially equipped to engage NRBs is their experiences, conversations, tastes and views are now exchanged immediately through social media. Thereby, the cord, which was once cut at the airport, remains strong as ever. For example my interaction with my cousins growing up was limited to the six week visit every second or third year. However, today, our conversations do not end simply because I have flown back to Sydney, rather they continue via email and Facebook on bus rides, waiting rooms and restaurants thousands of kilometres apart.
In my personal experience, as someone who has directly supervised current undergraduate and postgraduate students in a start-up based in Dhaka, the talent of these youngsters is unquestionable. The young men and women I have dealt with are far more engaged, inspired and determined regarding their ambitions and approach to their duties than I was (admittedly, this may be saying more about me than them). What is particularly striking is their comfort as global citizens and having no underlying perception of inferiority, an element, which in my experience was exuded by earlier generations. It really is both impressive and inspiring and they are ones who may be best capable of engaging NRBs.
The modern world, in which borders are increasingly meaningless, is primed to capitalise on those who have left Bangladesh. It is a large-scale task and requires leadership at all levels to not only initiate and design a mutually beneficial sustainable model but also implement it. The accumulated knowledge of Bangladeshi diaspora is a valuable asset and is a resource worth utilising.