The indisputable fact that any keen observer of the Bangladeshi scene will establish, is that the big story in Bangladesh over the last 10 years is the irreversible emergence of a robust middle class. Gone are the days when our country consisted of a thin layer of wealthy families in control of the economy and the politics, and the vast majority of almost destitute, often illiterate masses. The Bangladeshis of today are well educated and determined to climb up a social ladder that they have built. Bangladesh is a land of opportunities and those deciding to take advantage of those opportunities are no longer the few. The new generation of Bangladeshis is set to transform this nation.
The government of Bangladesh has taken considerable steps towards empowering and enabling this transformation, not the least of it the Digital Bangladesh initiative which recognises that sustainable development in the 21st century requires a digital infrastructure to serve as a launch-pad for the local talent into a global scene. The government, as it should, is not placing itself as the solution but as the enabler of the solution. Ours is not the age of the government as the parent, the boss, or the miracle-maker. Ours is the age of the private initiative that decides the course for the individual, the society, and the nation.
The main value for this new approach that will catapult our nation to the place it deserves in the global community is entrepreneurship. The young in Bangladesh understand entrepreneurship as being compatible with their sense of social responsibility.
The conflict between these two values as stated by ideologues, used to lead to a blunting of private initiative, in the past deemed selfish and contrary to the public good. We now know that personal success is the building block of national success. Away from theories and ideologies, Bangladeshi youth is putting into practice their innovative potential and coming out with ideas for solutions tailored to the needs of our own society – not run-of-the-mill formulas imported as templates from elsewhere. This is possible today in Bangladesh, thanks to a generational change that values education but also to the deep realisation that the responsibility and credit for success resides in the individual and not in a paternalistic or patronising collective.
The new Bangladeshi remains in perfect harmony with his or her society, in total coordination with his or her government, in mutual respect with his or her global environment. The new Bangladeshi has learned the important lesson that self-reliance is the way forward.
In a recent meeting designed to expose young Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to potential investors, it was evident that the seed is ready, but not the soil. The young entrepreneurs had their ideas conceived, detailed, and planned. Carrying these ideas to fruition requires an ecosystem that includes an enabling government as well as local capital that is willing to recognise the dramatic potential for growth that resides in this youth.
Administrative reform is a long process that has been initiated in Bangladesh, but will require everyone’s renewed dedication to ensure that red tape will not be the inhibitor of the next generation. The wealth generated through Bangladesh’s industrial minds ought to recognise that there is far more to this society than affordable labour and reliable production. This is a society beaming with ideas, with young people ready to compete with their global counterparts. They are demanding attention and they will receive it.
It is neither charity nor magnificence that they see, but the realisation on the part of their “elders” that they are indeed relying on themselves and trusting themselves first and foremost. It is in everyone else’s interest to follow suit and to trust them. Trust the next generation of Bangladeshis.
