PERISCOPE

We need to remember that the World Bank and other institutions told us almost half a century ago that countries like Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia would be the role model for the entire third world. Kindly see their conditions now. Last few decades we have been talking about GDP growth as an indicator of economic growth and forgot about crucial environment and quality hr development issues. A few mega projects can easily prove that we are getting very rich and we are the championship in the competition of GDP growth. Corruptions can also accelerate the GDP growth quickly. Diseases can also be counted for GDP growth as medical sectors work hard and spend and earn a lot of money at the expenses of millions of victims. Crimes do the same. All existing political parties also collect and spend resources for their activities. Over and under invoicing do the same. And all these phenomena inflate the size and speed of the economy. Bangladesh is in danger of climate change with 175 million people. Delhi and RSS claim that many millions of Bengalis and Muslims are eating there everything. They want to occupy our seashores to save hundreds of millions of their people. We have a Palestine-like situation with Rohingya refugees here in Cox’s Bazar. We are not listening to the voices of our people and foreign well wishers. In many issues, we are under serious compulsion to serve foreign companies. Under these realities, we need to the soul searching. Otherwise, we will remain in debt-strapped country for long. Millions of people will live under abject poverty situations. Moral decadence would make us a lesser human society about what we are getting too many vivid evidence every day.

Maimul Ahsan Khan
Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Dhaka