Bangladesh had difficulties from the very beginning, wrong policies being the main reason. Bangladesh could have been a much richer nation in many respects. First she had to overcome the history of a war ravaged country. The then-current government, in order to have complete control over all business and administration, had brought about massive nationalization. This greatly hampered growth in every sector. Inefficiency and mismanagement increased at an alarming rate, the effect of which can still be witnessed even today. Unrest grew among the common citizens. The people began to doubt the sincerity of the once great leaders who had fought for the independence of their beloved country. Mere promises were not enough any more. People were craving a better life.
Then in the dark year of 1974, Bangladesh was crippled by a severe famine. A lot of lives were lost in a very short period of time. The government could not distribute sufficient supplies of food among the people, despite some foreign aid. Unrest further escalated which ultimately brought down the government in less than a year.
That is now all in the past. The once sweet dream of 70 million people is now the nightmare of some 125 million people. The population was increasing every day. The government had to take immediate steps to curb this population boom. As a result, the growth rate has been brought down by a considerable amount.
Geographically, Bangladesh is situated in a disaster-prone area, as a delta surrounded by the Himalyan mountain ranges. As a result, she is frequently hit by cyclones, incurring heavy loss by the destruction of property and cattle. The loss of life is now minimized with the introduction of efficient warning systems and the construction of cyclone shelters in the coastal areas.
Besides cyclones, Bangladesh is also hit by flood almost every year, causing further loss of cattle and crops. If the crops were harvested one hundred percent, Bangladesh would reach self-sufficiency in the food sector. As a matter of fact, she can grow enough crops even to export to other countries, after fulfilling the needs of her people.
Bangladesh has a very unstable political infrastructure. Based on party politics, up until now, no government has been successful in completing its five year term. Political unrest, civil commotions and frequent strikes have compelled every government to call for midterm elections. Though vote rigging is a common complaint in Bangladesh, the last parliamentary election, held in early 1991 under a neutral caretaker government, can be cited as an example of fair and free election for many countries.
Though labour is extremely cheap in Bangladesh, very few industries have been built in her history of 23 years, mostly because of poor political situations. Smooth running of industries has always been hampered by labour unrest, student politics and influential business tycoons. The crisis sometimes mounts to such intensity that factories have to be closed for days, even months, and thus incur heavy losses. Despite all these problems, the garment industry in Bangladesh has flourished substantially. This has not only opened a way of earning for low income groups, but also promised work for many women who would otherwise have to work in houses (as maid servants) at a much lower pay. This successful industrialization had reduced the import of clothing to near null. This lucrative industry is also one of the largest foreign currency earners for Bangladesh. The quality of ready-made garments in Bangladesh has reached world standards and they are now being exported to many other countries.
Bangladesh has a bountiful supply of natural resources. But most of it cannot be put to efficient use because of monetary constraints, lack of proper management and the absence of modern technologies. Bangladesh has a large reserve of natural gas. The gas extracted is so pure that it can be distributed directly from the gas fields, with little or no purification, for consumption. At present, foreign firms have also been employed to search for oil reserves.
Bangladesh has ample natural beauties. Tourism could bring a good amount of foreign currency, provided that the sites are well managed and properly developed, and provide security and fine accommodations for the many tourists visiting these places every year. It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh has the longest natural sea beach in the world, along the coastal line of Cox's Bazaar. Another site worth mentioning is Kuakata, a sea beach in southern Bangladesh, where one can view both sunrise and sunset standing from the same place. Besides these, there is the famous "Shundar Ban" (a forest in central Bangladesh), the home of the "Royal Bengal Tigers".
Now, Bangladesh has achieved a sound macro economic condition that has lured many foreign investors to invest more in Bangladesh. The growing economy is now described as "the emerging tiger". Despite numerous setbacks, Bangladesh has been able to attract these foreign investors from all corners of the world. Only recently, about 200 foreign investors attended a conference held in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
The government of Bangladesh has introduced free and compulsory primary education, till class five, for all its citizens. At present, there are 6 technical colleges/universities, 5 universities and 15 medical colleges in Bangladesh. There are also some 10 other private colleges/universities and medical colleges. Yet these are not sufficient to meet the growing demand for education in Bangladesh. The private colleges/universities and medical colleges are mostly for the upper classes, who can afford such expenses. As a result, a good number of brilliant students are going abroad for higher studies every year. Thereby, Bangladesh is also being deprived of the possible top intellectuals of the country.
People in Bangladesh ("Bangladeshis") are by nature extremely emotional, superstitious and to some extent, fanatic. These qualities have also hindered development. Most of the people in the rural areas are not educated and live below the poverty line. These facts are also responsible for the boost in the population of Bangladesh. Child marriage and polygamy are still common practices in the village areas. In a male-dominated society, as is Bangladesh, women are always oppressed by men and are considered as a trivial part of the society. Though this poor nation has faced all the cruelty of reality, still the people are unwilling to face this harsh reality and live in a fictitious world of their own dreams. Should we Bangladeshis be able to break through such old and dubious beliefs, then we will also emerge as the proud members of a golden nation.
Abul Hasnat, Ankara, Turkey
e074341@narwhal.cc.metu.edu.tr