It is a matter of pride that Bangladesh has been identified as the fastest growing economy in the Asia-Pacific economies, out of 32 countries in the region as per a new international report.
This is certainly largely due to the current government’s emphasis on creating a Digital Bangladesh and, together with prudent policy decisions and investments, Bangladesh has much to be proud of.
It was less than two decades ago that Bangladesh had a per capita GDP of less than $500 and to see that multiply five times leaves little doubt of the progress Bangladesh has made.
However, while it is easy to become self-congratulatory, to even think of becoming lackadaisical would be a grave error. Despite our progress as a nation, we remain a long way off of what we eventually wish to be -- a high-income, prosperous, and most importantly, equitable nation.
To that end, if we are to successfully reach that goal -- and in less than two decades as we intend to -- then we must continue to not only sustain the growth level that we have experienced, but attempt to surpass it.
This will be far from easy; with Bangladesh about to graduate from a least developed country LDC) in the next couple of years, we will lose many of the advantages afforded to LDCs, and we must be prepared for that.
Moreover, we must continue to work towards fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals, as they will be the blueprint on which we can progress further.
Bangladesh has come a long way but we have much to do before we can truly be proud of our economic achievements.
