It is troubling to see the gap widen between Dhaka and the rest of Bangladesh, with almost half of the nation's income circulating in the capital alone.
A recent survey by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry reveals that the average per-capita income in Dhaka stands at $5,163, nearly double the national average ($2,820). Additionally, Dhaka accounts for 46% of the country’s total GDP and 40% of national employment, despite being home to only about 11% of the total population.
While the data comes as no surprise -- given the centralized approach we’ve adopted and practiced for a long time -- what this data shows us is not one of a thriving capital but rather a country built around one city, while much of the rest lags behind.
That is not the sort of development we should be proud of.
A focus on a singular city leads to an imbalance felt everywhere else -- in migration pressures, overburdened services, and underdevelopment in regional economies.
A truly resilient nation, as we know, must lean on diversification, with its innovations spread across the country. It is, therefore, the government’s duty to accelerate decentralization efforts immediately.
We must examine the strengths of the overlooked regions and design strategies that allow us to not only take full advantage of the natural and human resources available to us, but also to ensure that future national advancements do not remain limited to only a portion of its contributors.
Concentration leads to vulnerability, where equitable growth is ignored, and both national stability and harmony are compromised -- that is simply not the kind of constricted vision that we can have for ourselves anymore.