Bangladesh has been posting an impressive growth rate over the past few decades. To rapidly alleviate poverty and accelerate economic development, Bangladesh needs to attain 10% plus GDP growth, against its regular and average 6% to 7% growth, which is quite possible but requires the right strategy from now onwards for the next several years.
One of the major areas is to cultivate skills through world-class education, in order to develop the capacity to create productive human resources and the capacity to use modern technology.
Bangladesh can take pride as it has been competing globally in areas of textiles, ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, economic zones, ship building, etc. Public health care could be another great addition.
What is important for the country at the moment is to develop a comprehensive strategic plan so that entrepreneurship can develop in a big and visible way, massive local and foreign investment can take place, and momentum for the development of infrastructural facilities can emerge and thrive.
Covid-19
The coronavirus pandemic appeared as a dangerous development, a devastating catastrophe, which has impacted the lives of mankind for over two years in multiple areas. It has been drastically changing the pattern of human lifestyle, ideas, thoughts, needs, behaviour, etc.
I hope this would work as a great catalyst for new learning, and a journey to an uncertain and unpredictable future for all of us. The pandemic is still far from over. It goes up, slows down, but does not disappear. It has the potential to reappear in different forms, and it is still visible in various locations of the world.
I don’t find any reasons to ignore the coronavirus under any circumstances. Therefore, it remains necessary to stay vigilant and exercise maximum patience in carrying out one’s daily activities. It is extremely important to continue wearing a mask, maintain social distancing, and perform hygiene without fail.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Since February 24, we have been observing terrible situations in Ukraine; its destruction, loss of innocent lives, displacement of millions of people, and becoming refugees to the neighboring countries.
An environment of uncertainty and unpredictability has been created. Although the third world war has not yet begun, a world economic war has been in sight, negatively impacting the lives of the people of our beautiful planet.
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The Bangladeshi perspective
Bangladesh is an integral part of today’s fast-changing world, and has also been impacted by Covid-19 and the Ukraine war.
Due to Covid-19, many of us have lost our loved ones. Those who lost their family members can understand the economic and mental sufferings of these losses. The losses are irreparable and beyond imagination.
Employees of multinational companies, government employees, and bank officials get their salaries regularly. But the largest employers are the private sector. What is happening there? Many employees have already lost their jobs. For those who are still employed, their salaries have been reduced by 30-60%, and receive their salaries one, two, sometimes even three months late. These are the hard realities of life.
Survival plan
Each family, community, business organization, institution, and the country itself must have a systematic and scientific survival plan for the long term.
As lives keep moving on, we should think about how we can recover the losses incurred by the Covid-19 and the Ukraine war.
As an independent nation, we have been able to achieve quite impressive economic growth over the last 50 years. This could, of course, be much more if we could utilize the potential fully.
Unfortunately, we are still failing miserably to express ourselves freely and openly with our thoughts and ideas, both orally and in writing, observing increasingly maximum self-censorship at every step of life. People have been suffering from the fear syndrome.
Almost everyone is self-censored, which cannot help promote a dignified and self-respecting nation.
The common people of Bangladesh want to dream over the future of their beloved country, and take pride as citizens of an independent country. At the same time, with the prevailing political situation, many people plunge into deep frustration, which we need to overcome for the greater interest of the country.
However complicated the challenge, Bangladesh is a country of unlimited possibilities, from where Bangladesh can make a new beginning.
As an ordinary citizen of Bangladesh, I would like to share some of my thoughts that might be helpful to address the ongoing difficult situation:
● Bangladesh is a beautiful country, full of possibilities. The opportunities here are much higher than the visible challenges. We have already lost a lot of time, which we cannot afford to continue. Let’s all be the closest partners in the building of our wonderful country
● Covid-19 has changed the whole world. We cannot go back to the old world. Of course, this huge change has opened up a new horizon of positive developments. We need to use these enormous emerging opportunities
● We will have to begin and accomplish the activities related to good governance, accountability, and transparency without further loss of time
● Considering the greater interest of the people of Bangladesh, if necessary we would need to amend the constitution of the country and create a neutral election-time government to organize the parliamentary election to ensure a free, fair, participatory, and acceptable election. Unfortunately, people, in general, have started to forget that they have a right to vote, which cannot be acceptable in a progressive society
● The duration of an elected government might be considered reduced to a 4-year term from the existing 5 years. 5 years is a very long time. The people, particularly the politicians, become impatient and restless
● One person should not be allowed to run the country as the Prime Minister for more than two terms
● Let the people of the country freely decide which party or parties they want to govern the country. It is their constitutional right
● The elected government must demonstrate their acceptability in the society by their deeds and deliveries, not by the mere sweet words
● If for any reason a situation of deadlock and horrible chaos is created, we must have an arrangement for a mid-term election to overcome the crisis peacefully
● Everywhere in the government and important institutions, accountability and transparency must be ensured
● Our beloved nation belongs to all citizens, not only to a particular person or class. We must attract and utilize our most talented people for the rapid and balanced development of Bangladesh
● We all will have to leave this world. If we keep this basic fact in our mind, the management of the country could be easier, and can enjoy desired positive environment
Bangladesh is a veritable land of opportunity, and the critical challenge here is to reap the growing benefits before it is too late; and thereby ensure prosperity and happiness for its citizens.
The time-bound delivery incommensurate with the commitment is key to unlocking the huge inherent potential. We should also keep an eye on the fast-emerging new opportunities following the terrible disruption of everything during the Covid-19.
As a nation, we need the right education, right integrity, right technology, and love and respect for fellow human beings; and most importantly, we need discipline, tolerance, patriotism, accountability, and transparency in all walks of life, aiming to build a prosperous and happy Bangladesh.
Let’s be part of the solution, not of the problem.
A Gafur is a former Executive Director, The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh.
