Compared to many other countries including those in the developed world, Bangladesh government, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has so far performed commendably well in handling not only the Covid-19 pandemic but also the economy of the country. Nearly 28,000 people have so far died and roughly 1.5 million infected due to covid-19. The figure is certainly low in the context of world figure of 5.7 million dead and more than 260 million infected. How far the country will be able to contain the onslaught of the pandemic and the economy which is so interrelated with the corona pandemic is yet to be seen, and it is no doubt a matter of great concern for all of us.
The pandemic has shattered the people of the world both mentally and physically and to a great extent economically and it is not yet over. Another variant named Omicron has raised its head initially in South Africa and started spreading across the world faster than the previous ones. In a matter of a fortnight, 45 countries including Bangladesh have detected this new virus. How lethal is this new variant is yet to be established but according to virologists and health experts, it is surely much faster, at least three times faster, than the so far known corona variants. We can only cross our fingers and wait for the ultimate outcome.
As already mentioned, the government is doing well in managing the pandemic. The economy of the country has also not yet turned that worrisome as one would have thought. The country's per capita income has shot up to US dollar 2500 from USD 2200 in matter of months, not years. Its GDP growth has slowed down but not as precariously as in many other countries around us. India's GDP growth is slower than ours, so is that of Pakistan. The dollar value of Pakistan has shot up to 180 rupees a dollar. Bangladesh can envy of being able to hover around Tk. 85 a dollar.
Bangladesh's position in the world hunger index is also not that bad. According to Global Hunger Index (GHI), Bangladesh scored 19.1 points out of 100 in 2021 (the lower the score, the greater is the success in eliminating hunger). Yes, the cost of living following the pandemic has increased substantially. Prices of essential commodities are steadily going up. In the context of the economy of a third world country, Bangladesh can rightly feel contended with the fact that the people here are not dying of hunger. This is mainly because the agro-production of the country in food grains, vegetables, fish and poultry has been quite satisfactory despite all odds the farmers had to confront with.
Thanks to the excellent stewardship of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is now considered a role model for the developing country. Only recently, the UN general Assembly has adopted a resolution acknowledging graduation of the country from Least Developed country (LDC) by 2026.
It is because of her bold and courageous step that work on mega projects like Karnafully Tunnel, Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Dhaka Elevated Express Way, Dhaka Metro Rail, Matarbari Thermal Power Plant, Maheshkhali Deep Sea port is progressing rapidly to ensure that the dream of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for Sonar Bangla comes true sooner than later.
Karnafully tunnel named as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujubur Rahman Tunnel is expected to be opened for traffic by December 2022. Dhaka metro rail is scheduled to resume its operation by December, 2022. So is the tentative schedule for Dhaka Elevated Express way. The Padma Multipurpose Bridge, built at a cost of about Tk. 30,000 crore (for road layer only), all by the country's taxpayers' own money, is likely to be inaugurated by June 2022. With the opening of this bridge, not only more than 30 million people from the south-western part of Bangladesh will have direct road connection with the capital city Dhaka but also they will enter into a new era of development activities they had never seen before. Not only trade and business will flourish at an amazing pace, hundreds and thousands of people will join the much needed job market forthwith.
It will be unfair if I do not mention here the unprecedented success the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has achieved in dealing with the power crisis. From just about 3000 megawatt (MW) production capacity of electricity only a decade ago, the country is now in a position to produce 18000 MW of electricity. It was not even a decade ago that not even 60 per cent people of the country had access to electricity. Now more than 90 per cent people have access to electricity. It is no less significant an achievement that the ruling party can rightly claim credit for.
This is only one side of the coin depicting a rosy picture of hope and aspiration. The other side of the coin may not, however, look as rosy as one would have aspired for. Rather it may look as ugly and painful as one could think of. What we read in newspapers or watch on TVs may not be the same as we see in reality.
Millions of people have lost their jobs. Remittance inflow has slowed down. Export earning has declined. Inflation is poised to make a jump upward for the kitchen market to catch fire thereby making the lives of low and middle income group people all the more miserable. Millions of people are living in slums in subhuman condition. Hundreds of people are still seen sleeping on the footpaths or railway platforms of the big cities.
The gap between the rich and the poor is widening. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. According to "World Inequality Report 2022" released by the World Inequality Lab in Paris, only 01 per cent of Bangladesh population is in possession of 16.3 per cent of total national income. Rapid urbanisation in unplanned manner, alarming increase of environment pollution and natural calamities due to climate change are poised to make things worse in the days ahead. These are some of the statistics that the think-tanks, the policy makers and the politicians of the country can no longer ignore. There is thus no scope to conveniently resort to ostrich- syndrome.
Capt. Hussain Imam is a retired Merchant Marine Officer.
