The New Nation - Internet Edition

At a luncheon meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) Bangladesh country representative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Hua Du, has delivered a touching speech regarding Bangladesh's becoming a middle income group country by the year 2020. Hua Du, from her six years' experience of working here as development partner, has referred to the strong as well as the weak points of Bangladesh. In her estimation Bangladesh's strong points are its dynamism, pragmatism and quest for progress and development. By citing the actual example of growth of GDP over 6 percent during the last consecutive five years the development partner country chief has said that in a conducive atmosphere the people here could have achieved much more development.

Our manpower is rendering commendable service in the development of other countries as repatriate workforce. But in their own country due to inconducive atmosphere they cannot perform up to their ability. And that is the key to the slower growth of our development which economic analysts say should be 8 per cent or more rather than the current over 6 per cent.

The harsh reality must be accepted by us special by our civil society and that is, bad politics has permeated every facet of our national life. In the name of party politics, irresponsible conduct was encouraged and dishonesty was rewarded. Such an atmosphere cannot be helpful for building a nation prosperous and peaceful. That is, political reform must go for ward vigorously, if need be ruthlessly. Because, our salvation lies in establishing responsible party politics and good governance.

Ms Hua Du felt that a "capable and matured political leadership, pro-poor economic agenda, business friendly policies and an efficient but smaller bureaucracy" can tackle the challenges of faster development. We have appreciations for Hua Du's realistic observations. We ourselves have been untirimgly bringing these points before all the parties of development. But unfortunately, our political leadership and stiffneck bureaucracy did hardly pay any attention to our outcry. Due to its extreme greed and infatuation, political leadership could not bring any noticeable change in our development and administration. It rather has become dependent on the bureaucracy which has hardly missed the chance to exploit the political leadership the brunt of which has to be borne by the people and development itself. Due to the inefficacy and immobility of the political leadership it never felt that an outsize bureaucracy is a burden on the people's neck. Despite repeated urgings from the press and the multinational donors the size of the bureaucracy has never been trimmed. The outsize bureaucracy and the day-to-day routine administration has been eating up most part of the national budget. This year's budget is a classic example. Hitherto this is the biggest budget of the country-100,000 crore Taka, but 70 per cent of it will be spent as recurring expenditure. So, in the given system the people hardly enjoy any benefit out of a big budget.

Hua Du made two suggestions to enable us to face the challenges of competitive and globalised situations. Her two suggestions are more investment in human resource development and public-private partnership projects. A skilled manpower is the best resource a country can have. Our people are industrious and zealous no doubt, but to be more effective they need to be much more skill ful. It is the government to open up avenues for the development of their skill and latent talent. Others can only act as reinforcing agents.

In many developed and developing market economies big projects which need bigger investment and sophisticated technology are implemented by public and private partnership: This useful practice has not as yet started in Bangladesh. Private individuals cannot start it. The government need to take initiative about it and individuals are to be invited and motivated to participate in it. We cannot anymore avoid or ignore this important clue to development. We shall expect that the existing caretaker government shall initiate one or more such projects which the next government is to continue. Such macro approach shall definitely lead us to become a country of middle income by the year 2020.