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+--- Thread: IS SOMEONE LISTENING? (/showthread.php?tid=8614)
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IS SOMEONE LISTENING? - kamranACA - 08-21-2010
This is an article someone emailed me today; It reflects only the views of writer and I donât intend to give any comment on its contents. The readers can drive their own conclusions.
Regards,
______________________________________________________
The political economy of Bangladesh
âIshtiaq Ahmed
The news from Bangladesh in the last few years has been consistently good, though we in Pakistan have learnt more about the spectacular political advances that country has made in the last year or so. The political advances should indeed be described as spectacular because in an era salient with the menace of Islamism and terrorism, Bangladesh has most wisely and foresightedly chosen to establish itself as a secular democracy. No doubt the political basis for it was laid when an Awami League government won a landslide victory in the December 29, 2008 elections, but the crucial decision was taken by the Supreme Court of that country, which declared Bangladesh a secular democracy in constitutional terms.
Later, even more dramatic decisions have been taken, including a prohibition on the issuing of fatwas by the ulema and recently the media has reported that the government has decided to remove the books of Jamaat-e-Islamiâs Maulana Maududi from public libraries. The latter decision may irk absolutist champions of the freedom of expression but it can be argued that during the formative phase of democracy, restrictions on the freedom of expression are justified if such freedom threatens peace and harmony.
The writings of the three main ideologues of Islamism Maududi, Syed Qutb and Imam Khomeini appeal readily to semi-literate Muslims who have failed to enter the modern world and in reaction converted their frustration into damning the modern world as a product of some grand conspiracy against Islam. I consider as semi-literate a rather large portion of South Asian Muslim intelligentsia comprising engineers, doctors, âscientistsâ, mathematicians, ulema and literally the semi-literates because they have never been exposed to a liberal education that would make them question received wisdom or to the social sciences that tell us that modern human existence is too complex to be reduced to some magic formula of perfection if the wheel of time is turned back to the 7th century.
However, no political reform can succeed if the economic foundations remain inimical to such reform. A secular democracy is premised on the equality of men and women and if women are not empowered then democracy remains a procedural ritual to elect the government. The empowerment of Bangladeshi women started when a number NGOs began to promote female economic emancipation and education. In this regard the most well known is the one taken by Grameen Bank of Nobel Prize winner Dr Muhammad Yunus, as it started extending small loans to poverty-stricken women with a view to enabling them to set up small businesses and enterprises. Once women acquired the means to earn an income they began to assert their rights and independence, thus denting traditional male domination. The Grameen Bank model of micro-financing has proved to be a thundering success and has now been adopted by both developed and developing countries. The other leading NGO is the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). It is said to be the largest NGO in the world, and apart from micro-credit, has many other roles such as non-formal education for women. BRAC is now also active in Afghanistan and in Pakistanâs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as well as in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Sudan.
The third initiative is about prioritising such industrial development that can be profitably marketed globally. It was the apparel or garment industry that was chosen for stimulation and expansion. Currently Bangladesh is the fourth largest exporter of apparel after China, the EU and Turkey. It exported over $ 10 billion worth of apparel goods in 2009. Such production was particularly suited to a female workforce and thus proved to be another avenue for providing employment to women and thus empowering them.
Micro-financing, female education and employment in the garment industry has meant that women are less available to produce children against their will. Consequently, the population growth rate in Bangladesh has decreased dramatically from the earlier 2.7 percent to 1.42 percent. The total fertility rate (TFR) that captures the population growth dynamics of a country has also improved positively. In Bangladesh it has declined from 6.85 children per women in 1970-75 to 2.36 in 2005-2010. It means smaller families, and if the family income is improving then it also means that the overall standard of living will improve.
However, such initiatives can bear fruit only if the national outlook is properly geared and focused on productivity and all-round societal development. The current Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina decided that cooperation with India instead of confrontation had to be translated into practice. Fortunately for Bangladesh the absence of a large military meant that it never tried to enter into military competition with India. Although right-wing Bangladesh governments flirted with anti-India rhetoric, there was never any serious attempt to embark upon militarisation. It has enabled Bangladesh to invest its scarce resources into economic production and now the nation is benefiting from such policies. There is no evidence that India is planning to invade that country, and so a major bugbear accentuating the Bangladesh security paranoia is conspicuous by its absence.
The key to development and progress is always a combination of political, economic, social and cultural changes that complement one another. The combined impact of a number of initiatives has been that Bangladesh is currently the calmest country in the region. Thus a country once derisively described by Henry Kissinger as the âworldâs basket caseâ can actually become the most dynamic of all South Asian nations.
Since the Muslim world has the longest-running misogynist record in both time and space, one can theorise with confidence that the progress a Muslim nation has attained can be gauged by the empowerment of women it has achieved. Thus Saudi Arabia and Iran â both filthy rich â would be at the bottom of any ranking about progress and Turkey and Bangladesh at the top.
The second lousy record of the contemporary Muslim world pertains to the situation of religious and sectarian minorities. Once more advanced than medieval Europe, the Muslim world either stagnated at treating non-Muslims as dhimmis (non-Muslim subjects of a state governed in accordance with shariah law), or much worse in persecuting them to either convert to Islam or run away for their lives. Since Bangladesh now constitutionally asserts its secular democratic identity, hopefully the roughly 10 percent Hindu minority and the minuscule Buddhist tribes will also benefit from their right to equal citizenship.
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- WARDAH - 08-21-2010
@Kami bhai....aap sunain or hum na sunain,aisy to halaat nahin )
mai to jht sy agai pr itni lmbiiiiiiiiiiii post? bi koi iska matan jari kr dy to mai prh lon )
- Sarfaraz Khan - 08-21-2010
Please koi es ko summarize kar k bata de '(
- Ali RAZA - 08-21-2010
No doubt, Bangladesh has grown fast from last few years. Many non government organizations play the great role in the economy of Bangladesh. These NGO also establish woman by giving loans. On industrial side, there is also a rapid growing. But Bangladesh is still far away due to the bad political structure. Successful economy is only possible when political environment is good otherwise it leads in ended smoke.
Moreover, I donât understand why many people so much worried about the religious side. People have right to perform their religious occasion as the wish. By banning the books of different ulema is also the sign of poor human right. That is reason we Muslim donât enter in modern world.
i dont read the whole article due to shortage of time..
- Astute Accountant - 08-21-2010
So you are wishing for one such Awami League government for Pakistan as well?
- Dard - 08-21-2010
I have been to Bangladesh and the above article gives an overview of how bangladesh is progressing
- kamranACA - 08-22-2010
Astute
Do you have any other solution? Have we not seen what happens if things to the contrary are implemented. I think now there is no room for debate as we have been doing at this forum one or two years back.
You have to be open to the world and your political and regional policies have to be linked with your economic goals. There is no way to achieve these targets without following the path that Turkey, Malysia and now Bangla-Desh have choosen. There are loads of non-islamic countries examples.
I wonder if it is the age of living at caves, which our one specific mentaility wishes to push the entire nation to. This article may not be hundred percent good when we look at the selection of words; yet it is an eye opener definitely.
Regards,
- yasir_live - 08-22-2010
Agreed with the Article. But I also don't intend to give any Comment on the Content.
Regards.
- ciapk - 08-24-2010
Bangladesh nay Pakistan flood relief aid double kr di hay.
- yasir_live - 08-25-2010
Mubarak Ho!
By the way, Pakistan k Mushkil waqt main Hum nay Bangalion ko Humesha khush hotay huay dekha hay, Main yahan ki baat kar raha hun.
Regards.
- ciapk - 08-25-2010
Yay Mubarik ki nai dear sharam ki bat hay. They are suppose to, Pakistanio ( Hukmrano, Bureaucracy and Army) nay bhi un k sath kuch km nahi ki thi. Dhaka Fall k waqt hmari bureaucracy jashan mna rahi thi k gnday, badboodar loog jin say fish ki smell ati hay, 4.30 ft k bono say nijat mil gai ham unko seelab say nikal nikal k thak jatay hain hmary economy brbad ho jati hay east Pakistan k flood say as you know wahan 6 months floods atay hain.
- Astute Accountant - 08-25-2010
@ Kamran
Well, there is a difference between a pointless debate and an expression of opinion.
I agree with you that we have to be open to the world and our political policies should be linked with our economic goals but the point is that one should always be aware of the tactics of one's enemy. If you don't bite a dog this won't ensure that the dog will also spare you just because you are a peaceloving person.
Secondly, the economic progress hasn't affected the human nature. Man was brutual and is as much brutual as he was. Life was good for the rich and powerful in the past and is so even today. What change has this economic development brought in the lives of poor or helpless? You and me can never imagine the miseries and frustrations of such people. One can survive hunger but not injustice. If these economic developments fail to bring peace and justce in lives of our people then to hell with these developments.
- yasir_live - 08-26-2010
Ciapk.
Dear Mubarak baat main nay Tanz main di thi by the Way. Weasy mujhay khud bhi bohat sakht Nafrat hay un logon say jin k pass Smell ati hay, Tu sahi tu mazaak uratay hain Bangalion ka. Bangali Agar 5 foot door bhi khara hoga tu uss k pass say bohat hi gandi kisam ki Fish smell arahi hogi, As we experience here in Saudi, Yahan Bangali bhi hain bohat xiada. I wonder Yeh log khud apnay saath bhi kesay reh latain hain. Budboodar Aur ghatia Kaum hay. Meray office ka Tea-Boy Bangali hay Aur jab say Pakistan main selaab aya hay uss din say woh kuch xiada hi khush rehnay laga hay, Jab bhi meray say Amna-Samna hota hay Tu khoob muskura kar Aur hastay huay kehta hay k Tumhara Pakistan bohat mushlkil main hay.
Regards.
- kamranACA - 08-26-2010
Astute
Social justice, equal distribution of wealth, facilitation to general public and de-centralized empowerment; this all is very good for raising meaningful debate. Yet, this all follows a state that is called survival and sustainability.
This survival and sustainability is the question to be answered first of all; and we, who had been considering some nations so poor and helpless, should learn how those nations have taken the correct path that will lead to satisfactory answer to such a question. All other phases will start after this automatically, although I agree that nothing will happen over a night.
In Ayub regime, analysts came from Malaysia to see what policies Pakistan was following to produce remarkable economic results. Pakistan was at that time the most fastly growing islamic economy. Now, the gap between Malaysia and Pakistan cannot be parted with in next 25-50 years I guess. Same Malaysia that was so inspired from us that could not help studying our policies. What makes this gap to occur? This has to be studied and this has to be found.
If we can correct ourselves on this aspect, others CAN follow; however, if this remains uncorrected, others WILL NEVER follow.
The ingredients to make this happen successfully have been discussed in the above article. Every one is wise enough to find out such ingredients. Honesty as a nation and with the nation, is the basic pre-requisite however.
Best regards,
- WARDAH - 08-26-2010
Kami bhai n Astute how old r u both??? itni hectic taqreer i mean tbsry kaisy frmatay hain??