Eradicating extreme poverty: Yes, it can be done!

Published : 1 June 2014, 03:37 PM
Updated : 1 June 2014, 03:37 PM

The day before 'Victory Day' in 1971, on December 15th, I attended a Bangladesh Government meeting in Calcutta on behalf of Oxfam to discuss the future needs of independent Bangladesh. We discussed the modalities of the return to Bangladesh of nearly 10 million refugees and the current and future overwhelming needs of the country. An estimated 20 million people were, at that time, internally displaced inside Bangladesh, and that had had an enormous impact on the agricultural production at that time, not helped, as well, by an excessive monsoon. The Bangladesh Government informed the meeting that the immediate needs of the country were:

  • Import of 500,000 tons of food grains per month
  • 1000 trucks
  • 500 buses
  • Shelter material (we were informed that shelter materials such as bamboos had been destroyed by the Pakistani army)

In January 1972, I was one of the first Oxfam staff members to visit Bangladesh. I drove overland from Calcutta. During my short visit to Bangladesh more than 42 years ago, it was obvious that the two greatest needs were food and the restoration of the transport system with which to move the food around the country. I saw hundreds of burnt out villages, fields with no crops, and many destroyed bridges and culverts, as well as sunken river vessels. Oxfam's Overseas Aid Director at that time, Ken Bennett, wrote in a report, a short while after my January 1972 visit, "I doubt if it would be an exaggeration to say that on the extent to which a solution to the problem of food imports and the restoration of communications can be quickly found may well depend the future of Bangladesh as a State."

The head of the UN Mission at that time, Tony Hagen, was tearing his hair out. Against a need for 1972 of US$ 530 million, only US$ 18.5 million had been pledged by March 1972. Many inappropriate supplies had arrived. He had US$ 6 million worth of blankets but no country had committed the US$1.6 million to repair the Hardinge Bridge, and tons of inappropriate baby food without the means to deliver it anywhere.

Yes, there was a very severe famine in 1974/5 but it is to Bangladesh's immense credit that it has survived and prospered and is now self sufficient in the production of basic food grains which can be moved about the country fairly efficiently. In addition, Bangladesh is in positive territory as far as many of the MDGs are concerned. All these achievements are enormous, if not, monumental.

However, to eliminate extreme poverty from Bangladesh by 2021 does not only relate to home grown food, mainly rice, and communications. There is an increasing awareness that food production does not only mean mono-cropping high yielding rice. That is why there is an increased awareness to grow and eat more vegetables and to try to eliminate the heavy use of chemicals in agricultural production. This means better crop rotation – this can enhance soil fertility and reduce pest problems – and moving to more use of compost and organic farming which reduces production costs. I think that everyone knows that the key to many aspects of development is a good nutrition for everyone.

In addition, it seems that the government is very serious to speed up the allocation of 'khas' land to the landless and if this is done all over the country, the result could be extraordinary as far as reducing extreme poverty is concerned.

The income generated by garment workers plays an enormous part on the road to eradicating poverty by 2021. With the recent improvements in pay and conditions this will still be very significant.

When, in 2012, along with many others, I received the 'Friends of Liberation War Honour' from the President and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, I spoke with the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Matia Chowdhury, at one of the functions. I was accompanied at that time by Sir Mark Tully and Simon Dring, and the Minister asked us to promise to come again for the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh, 2021. In 2021, I will look forward to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh as well as the eradication of Extreme Poverty from this beautiful country.