What the 50th anniversary of independence reminds us of
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Saturday
July 02, 2022

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
SATURDAY, JULY 02, 2022
What the 50th anniversary of independence reminds us of

50 Years of Freedom

Wahiduddin Mahmud
27 March, 2021, 11:25 pm
Last modified: 28 March, 2021, 03:24 pm

Related News

  • Govt lacks proper planning to uplift the marginalised: Wahiduddin
  • Concert to celebrate 50 yrs of Bangladesh independence in NY on Friday
  • Golden Jubilee Concert to be organised in Madison Square in May
  • Scorpions to perform at Golden Jubilee Bangladesh Concert at Madison’s Square
  • Corruption more prevalent when it crosses ‘peak’

What the 50th anniversary of independence reminds us of

This auspicious moment of the fiftieth anniversary of independence reminds us of patriotism, socio-economic achievements, failures and the challenges ahead

Wahiduddin Mahmud
27 March, 2021, 11:25 pm
Last modified: 28 March, 2021, 03:24 pm
Sketch of Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud.
Sketch of Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud.

"Surjodoye Tumi, Surjasteo Tumi

O Amar Bangladesh Priyo Jonmobhumi"

(You are at sunrise, you are at sunset

O my Bangladesh, my beloved motherland)

Bangladesh's national flag was designed along the model of the Japanese flag, with changes in colour. Bangladesh is now considered one of the leading emerging economies.

We have now outdone Pakistan in all indicators of socio-economic development. But, by the end of the 1960s, we were far behind all development indicators compared to the then West Pakistan. And in some indicators of social development, such as average life expectancy of the people, we have now outshone neighbouring India. Therefore, the economic rationale that worked behind the Six-Point Movement and the Liberation War stand justified.

The country that Henry Kissinger once castigated as a bottomless basket is now referred to as a "development wonder". This is because despite many adversities, Bangladesh has been in the front row among developing countries in terms of average annual growth of per capita income over the past three decades. Even more astonishing is the fact that we are far ahead of our economically equivalent countries in terms of social development indicators, including education and health, even though our public sector development spending - be it per capita or GDP - is relatively low, and the quality of public services is low.

It is noteworthy that Henry Kissinger came upon the phrase "bottomless basket" in the documents of an official of his State Department. That official had worked long on the famine in Africa and used the phrase in his assessment of the countries affected in the continent. Kissinger used this term to indicate that Bangladesh would be a similar famine-prone country. Moreover, his political resentment of this country was well known. Famine in Bangladesh is now a matter belonging to history.

In this scene of the rising sun, the bright light of the sun is slightly covered in clouds. Why? The promise to build a non-discriminatory society has not been kept. On the contrary, economic and political inequalities have increased in society and these two types of inequalities are adding strength to each other. Standards of morality have been on a decline in society. Space for an intellectual middle class society based on knowledge has been shrinking rather than expanding. The phrase "civil society" has dwindled to being a laughing stock. And yet in the process of nation-building, the entire society has to become civilised and sophisticated.

All in all, in all these years we have not been able to come up with a sustainable system of governance underscored by accountability at all levels. Development is not sustainable without accountability in any democratic or authoritarian system of governance. Amartya Sen agrees with this statement of mine, but he has added "sense of responsibility" to it. Accountability is an essential condition for effective administration, and demonstrating responsibility is a matter of personal ethics. Both are essential. (Source: My recently published article: Bangladesh's socio-economic progress with poor governance: How are Amartya Sen's thoughts relevant for Bangladesh?)

Interestingly, mention of Bangladesh as a "development wonder" came to the notice of international organisations and our government much later.

The latest reference to this factor in the international media was by Amartya Sen – based on articles of Bangladeshi researchers published internationally. It is not possible to redress these problems if we do not identify the reasons why the social indicators, having improved dramatically, are now stagnating.

(A search of "Bangladesh Development Surprise" on www.scholar.google will reveal the number of times research articles and others have used their formulas.) Again, we do not notice or want to notice that many social development indicators now have stagnated over the past five to seven years and, in some cases, have even gone backward.(The recently published Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18, Key Indicators report available on the website, contains a series of statistics on the indicators.) It is important that research be conducted to understand why that has been so.

[The author is an economist and a former advisor to the caretaker government. This write-up is taken from the writer's Facebook account and translated from Bangla]

Analysis / Bangladesh / Top News

Wahiduddin Mahmud / 50 Years of Freedom / 50 Years of Independence / Independence Day 2021 / Golden Jubilee of Independence

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • In rain, heat, filth – they fight against cancer
    In rain, heat, filth – they fight against cancer
  • Evaly: Justice stuck within a server password
    Evaly: Justice stuck within a server password
  • Fewer cattle, buyers mark 1st day of Eid cattle sales in Chattogram
    Fewer cattle, buyers mark 1st day of Eid cattle sales in Chattogram

MOST VIEWED

  • Moitree Dibosh celebrated in Dhaka
    Moitree Dibosh celebrated in Dhaka
  • 50 years of diplomatic ties: Dhaka, Delhi vow for more connectivity
    50 years of diplomatic ties: Dhaka, Delhi vow for more connectivity
  • Six fighters led by Mjor General Narayan Shankar Nari of the Indian Army ( Retd. ), who participated in the 1971 War of Liberation visited the Baniafair area of Kalihati Upazila in Tangail
    Indian soldiers who fought in Liberation War visit Tangail
  • Modi's Bangladesh visit in pictures
    Modi's Bangladesh visit in pictures
  • Hasina, Modi vow to move forward hand-in-hand
    Hasina, Modi vow to move forward hand-in-hand
  • Global leaders congratulate Bangladesh on the golden jubilee of independence
    Global leaders congratulate Bangladesh on the golden jubilee of independence

Related News

  • Govt lacks proper planning to uplift the marginalised: Wahiduddin
  • Concert to celebrate 50 yrs of Bangladesh independence in NY on Friday
  • Golden Jubilee Concert to be organised in Madison Square in May
  • Scorpions to perform at Golden Jubilee Bangladesh Concert at Madison’s Square
  • Corruption more prevalent when it crosses ‘peak’

Features

Photo: Collected

Sapiens – A Graphic History 

13h | Book Review
Black-naped Monarch male  Photo: Enam Ul Haque

Black-naped Monarch: A sovereign who never abandoned the Indian subcontinent

14h | Panorama
The 136-year-old company on its last legs

The 136-year-old company on its last legs

15h | Features
Agricultural worker walks between rows of vegetables at a farm in Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo: Reuters

With vast arable lands, why is Africa dependent on imported grain?

12h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Dhaka University celebrating 102nd founding anniversary today

Dhaka University celebrating 102nd founding anniversary today

12h | Videos
Ctg Int'l Trade Fair returns after a 2-year hiatus without Covid restrictions

Ctg Int'l Trade Fair returns after a 2-year hiatus without Covid restrictions

13h | Videos
Bangladeshis among top 6 nationalities seeking asylum in Europe

Bangladeshis among top 6 nationalities seeking asylum in Europe

14h | Videos
RUET organises Robotronics 2.0

RUET organises Robotronics 2.0

14h | Videos

Most Read

1
Padma Bridge from satellite. Photo: Screengrab
Bangladesh

Padma Bridge from satellite 

2
Meet the man behind 'Azke amar mon balo nei'
Splash

Meet the man behind 'Azke amar mon balo nei'

3
Photo: TBS
Bangladesh

Motorcycles banned on Padma Bridge 

4
Photo: Collected
Economy

Tech startup ShopUp bags $65m in Series B4 funding

5
World Bank to give Bangladesh $18b IDA loans in next five years
Economy

World Bank to give Bangladesh $18b IDA loans in next five years

6
Investor Hiru fined Tk2cr for market manipulation
Stocks

Investor Hiru fined Tk2cr for market manipulation

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2022
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab
BENEATH THE SURFACE
Workers with minimum safety equipment are busy producing iron rods at a local re-rolling mill at Postogola in Old Dhaka. Reused metals from the adjacent shipyards in Keraniganj have played a major role in establishing several such mills in the area. PHOTO: Mumit M

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net