Power Bangladesh: Some thoughts and reflections

Whenever I am asked to write about how I feel about Bangladesh and its development, I find that I have so many feelings going back to the very painful birth of the country, that it is very difficult to write everything down.

When I came to Dhaka overland from Calcutta in January 1972, I saw a broken country. Villages burnt, bridges and culverts blown up, ferries sunk, many fields uncultivated; but I also talked to refugees going home and they said that they were happy and relieved to be going home, but also fearful of their uncertain future.

With the return of Bangabandhu in January 1972, Bangladesh was in a state of euphoria.

However, by March 1972, when it was clearer how bad things were, I wrote to my then organisation, OXFAM, that many seasoned international aid officials believe that in case food supplies are not provided by the world community in sufficient quantity and infrastructure not quickly repaired, Bangladesh might not be able to survive as a nation state.

I am so very glad that Bangladesh has proved these observers wrong. In 1972 there were an estimated 75 million people in Bangladesh. 43 years later, the figure is more than 160 million. In the famine of 1974, thousands of people died from starvation. Now, I am prepared to stick my neck out and say that nobody dies of starvation. Now, their neighbours and the local community do not allow this to happen.

The Rowmari I saw in 1974/75 is not the same at all. It is now green for most of the year. The agricultural 'positive' is huge and for all to see, with important ongoing research to develop new varieties of rice that will grow with less water or in saline water. At the same time, there are many who worry greatly about mono-cropping depleting the soil's structure and fertility. Farmers talk of "poisoning the earth" with chemical fertiliser and pesticide. It is perhaps difficult to strike the right balance.

Everyone knows how 'positive' the development of the garment industry has been for the country and it has helped change the image of women as well. In 1972, I rarely saw a woman on the streets in Dhaka and there were hardly any women in government offices I visited around then. Now it is completely different, and the education of girls and women has increased dramatically.

Another enormous 'positive' is, of course, the development of communication; roads and bridges as well as mobile phones and internet. However, it is a huge mistake that investment in the railways has been tragically neglected. If successive governments had invested wisely in the railways and mass transit systems, the country would not be reeling from hour-long road traffic tailbacks and traffic jams which drain the country's economy a great extent.

One area of work that has been close to my heart is the improvement of life for people with disabilities.

In the last 25 years, there has been considerable progress both at government and NGO levels, but it is always not nearly enough, especially when it is estimated that 15% of the population have some kind of disability. The range of government safety nets is impressive but the funds available are nowhere near sufficient, and the allocation is not made so that the neediest benefit. Sadly, political interference is often allowed to take place. At the same time, many examples are coming to light and are being publicised about people with disabilities contributing in many ways, including income-generation, to the society.

Foreigners often ask me how I love Bangladesh so much. They remind me that Dhaka has been named as one of the most unlivable capital cities in the world.

There is still much poverty, and they wonder if I have not become just a little mad. It is true that Dhaka was a much greener place when I lived here 25 years ago, and since then the city planners have done a great disservice to the inhabitants.

However, it is the people of Bangladesh, across class and religion, who I love and who are dear to me. Most of them are hard-working, hospitable, generous, and full of warm feelings. I was here when 'democracy' returned to Bangladesh in late 1990 and there was great hope that progress will surge forward. There has been considerable progress but it could have been much greater if confrontational politics was not the norm. Can I hope that we will soon see an end to this? Yet I dare not predict when.

I have written about Bangladeshis being generous.

In 2012, I was one of many foreigners of different countries honoured by the Government of Bangladesh and I received the 'Friends of Liberation War Honour' for the work I undertook with OXFAM among 6 lac refugees in India in 1971.

For me, it was an honour to serve at a time of need in 1971 and I just happened to be 'in the right place at the right time'. I do not think that a country has ever said 'thank you' in this way before. It is a truly remarkable and generous recognition and award.