So an Indian diplomat makes Bangladeshis feel good about themselves! Ask the millions of Rickshaws pullers in Dhaka.Published on 12:26 PM, July 09, 2022
Bangladesh, a future tiger economy? Indian diplomat thinks so
Star file photo
Star Digital Report
With broad-basing of its industrial sector, Bangladesh could well be the tiger economy of the future, according to former Indian diplomat Ambassador Sarvajit Chakravarti.
Bangladesh has given itself a roadmap - Vision for 2041 - aimed at ending absolute poverty and graduating into higher middle-income status by 2031 and becoming a developed nation by 2041, he said. The country is making progress in several social and economic sectors, he added.
From agriculture to pharmaceuticals and from shipbuilding to garments, Bangladesh's industrial base is diversifying and its exports are increasing, said Chakravarti, who had served as India's diplomat in Dhaka twice, in an interaction with PTI journalists in its office at Kolkata.
"Bangladesh has made excellent progress in education, healthcare and basic social services. I see Bangladesh as a future tiger economy," Chakravarti added.
However, he said, this is dependent on India for some food items such as wheat and lentils. Shortages in India often result in stalling of these exports to the detriment of people in both the countries, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
"From when (US Secretary of State Henry) Kissinger called it a basket case' in 1971 to a country that has exceeded India in per capita income (last year), Bangladesh has come a long way. It is justified that there is a lot of pride associated with Padma bridge and the international agencies that had refused to fund it are now congratulating Bangladesh on its completion, he said.
The Padma Bridge will considerably reduce travel time from India to Bangladesh, will boost tourism traffic and improve delivery services from both sides. It shows the positive effect increasing exports can have on a country's economy (by generating development resources), Chakravarti added.
Chakravarti suggested India try to make Rupee a legal tender in the country as it is in Nepal and Bhutan so that the entire region can be treated, to an extent, as an integrated economic entity in terms of supply of essential services like food.
As the connectivity between the two neighbours is increasing via rail, road and river routes, container trucks from Bangladesh can be allowed to move to Mumbai, Ahmedabad and other ports in western India to make its shipments to Europe easier, he said.
Now, Bangladeshi ships go to Europe via Colombo. The use of western Indian ports will cut that distance considerably, he said.
On the Teesta water-sharing issue, Chakravarti said Bangladesh has been "very kind" in not making it the central part of its relationship dialogue with India.
An agreement on Teesta has been steadfastly opposed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the ground that it would affect the state's interest as there is not enough water to share on a guaranteed basis.
Chakravarti said the issue could be solved by linking Teesta and Jamuna in Bangladesh via a canal.
"My suggestion is to build a canal from there to the Teesta and re-circulate the water," he said.
In the process, the water volume will increase, and there is potential for irrigating the inter-riverine area and generating electricity, he said adding that the entire canal will be in Bangladesh.
In reply to another question, he said Bangladesh has several advantages over India.
"It is mono-lingual even as a multi-ethnic society. So, there are fewer social conflicts (compared to India). It also traditionally has a culture of mutual support and toleration. The Baul-Fakiri tradition grew up there," he said.
The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been far stronger and more proactive in dealing with religious conflicts there, Chakravarti said.
"Every time we hear of any atrocity on minorities, it is quickly followed by government action to prevent its spread and by civil society protests," he said.
Bangladesh has provided skill training and is exporting its manpower to the extent possible as they do not have enough land to live on, he said adding that West Bengal and many Indian states can take a cue from that.
Bangladesh, a future tiger economy? Indian diplomat thinks so
With broad-basing of its industrial sector, Bangladesh could well be the tiger economy of the future, according to former Indian diplomat Ambassador Sarvajit Chakravarti.www.thedailystar.net
Bangladesh, a future tiger economy? Indian diplomat thinks so
- Thread starter Black_cats
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You can be a "Tiger" economy and still be a rickshaw puller. Two things are not mutually exclusive.
BD will phase this out by 2030 at the latest as the new SEZz start sprining up all over the country to provide alternative employment.
This is a country that prides looking after the poor than any "look" to the outside world.
With your kind of economists in BD, the country will remain a cockroach economy for the next few centuries at least. Not a single country has developed by borrowing a few billion dollars. You will know how hard it is to repay when BD will be paying $4 to $5 billion every year.
Your Big Tiger economy is now without electricity and fuel. People have to wait in line to get rations at cheaper prices. Do not you have eyes to see how strong your tiger is?
Be a cat economy first by the participation of the country's population working hard and producing billions of dollars worth of mechanical, electrical, and electronic goods.
BananaRepublicUK
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Didn’t all the tiger economies have a financial crash and had to be bailed out?
1997 Asian financial crisis - Wikipedia
Mistri bhai,
You are talking nonsense again
@UKBengali outsmarts you again
Wergeland
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It makes one wonder why in the Lords name there arent more international level higher educational institutions.
The same applies to Hospitals.
Bangladeshis flock to indian hospitals every year, leaving billions of dollar that otherwise would drive the healthcare industry in BD. Why not build couple or three world class hospitals and hire doctors from abroad, who then also can teach new students.
I read turkey was going to build a huge hospital in Dhaka but havent seen one yet.
Wergeland
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They are manufacturing (more like assembling) but govt. allows them to import sub-assemblies from India which is a semi-knocked-down (SKD) assembly scenario. Too little value added by just turning a few screws.
This should be completely-knocked-down (CKD) assembly scenario at a MINIMUM.
Ideally Indian manufacturers should source parts made locally - which they don't.
Indian parts mfrs. need to come in as well to make parts locally which is fine. They can set up CNC operations and go into basic manufacture from scratch using even manual machining using lathes. As long as they employ local labor I have no issues with this.
Govt. needs to clamp down and place tariffs on CKD and the gradually on SKD components and sub-assemblies imported.
IMHO this is happening too slowly, our Govt. is no doubt being influenced by certain quarters to "pump the brakes" and pursue "dheerey chalo" principle - just so some of our importers and some of their overseas exporter partners in certain countries benefit.
Eibar buijha lon hokkoley, ke India'r chamcha.
Othoba false-flagger fifth columnist....
By the time a container lorry goes from Dhaka to Mumbai port, our local Bangladeshi container ship from either Mongla Port or from Chittagong Port would have passed the SUEZ canal and would be near the EU port of Trieste in Italy or any port in Spain.
Chittagong port passed 3 Million TEU yearly mark two years ago. Which means it processed more containers than all Eastern Indian ports combined. Chittagong is bested in India only by JNPT in Mumbai and Adani further North and those ports are far bigger in scope and operation as suits a large country like India.
Once Chittagong is expanded (massive plans afoot) and Mongla comes online (helped by Padma Bridge) no port in India can challenge Bangladesh port processing capacity especially for containers.
Indian ports in the East have been given to overseas port operators (like S'pore Ports) and even then they can't run these ports properly.
So the wet dream of this diplomat about Bangladesh container traffic helping Indian ports develop their operations is just that - a dream.
I remember some years ago, Kolkata port people came begging to the business chambers in Dhaka so we could use their port.
All I have to say is "stick to your own country" with port operations. This kind of thing doesn't work intra-border with all the Indian red-tape.
Ekdikey "termite" boila gali marey, abar onnodikey container-charge er bhaga chai.
Our container ships now go directly to the EU - they don't stop in Colombo even.
Shilling for India, when even most Indians don't want our lorries on their roads.
And Indian Rupee as local tender in Bangladesh. Rightttt !!
Indian Rupee has taken a nosedive already in the last two years, why would we link to that??
I'd much rather link it to the Renminbi/Yuan. Which is going to be the sovereign currency sometime in the future.
Really cheeky with that INR tender proposal right?
This is the standard Indian way. Double speak and hide your true intentions. I have a small news for you, no one like to be taken for a idiot, Mr Ambassador.
Well there should be no problem for India to accept BDT as legal tender in India either. Let all goods from West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Secen Sisters go through Chittagong and Mongla. After all its far shorter Distance to travel for container trucks, than say forexample from Dhaka to Mumbai or Gujarat ports.
So dear Indian ambassador, nice of you to praise BD. Hopefully one day we may praise india too.
BananaRepublicUK
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If we accept INR as legal tender then that’s the end of our sovereignty.
We will be nothing more than a vassal state - at the mercy of the monetary policies catered to the cow belt.
If INR is accepted as legal tender then Hasina would sign her own death warrant!!
Your suggestion of quid pro quo - would be a sham.
BananaRepublicUK
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There’s a direct correlation between investment and skills.
E.g. the oxbridge region has received 100s billions in pharmaceuticals investments due to the world class research centres and academics.
London has become second biggest hub for high end IT - due to the skills it has and can attract from rest of Europe.
Mistri bhai thinks dearth of investment is due to corruption. IT IS NONSENSE!!!
Big business and financiers love corruption and know how to navigate it. It’s a minor part of their investment decision. E.g. Singapore is the biggest investor in ultra corrupt and war torn Burma.
Bilal9
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Actually there are several massive scale hospitals being built in Dhaka at the moment. Two are almost ready and the rest are in the pipeline.
One is in Uttara by Grameen which includes a nurse training institute (A Grameen JV with Glasgow Caledonian College of Nursing) that will train nurses in int'l standards.
Our current nurses' standards are no better than "Daima" or maid level so this will attract lower middle class or even middle class women to pursue int'l degrees in nursing for eventual overseas jobs. In most Western countries nurses are as respected as doctors, especially in the US, and of course just as educated with Ph.D's if not more.
The one other than Grameen is a "super specialized medicine unit" addition to PG Hospital (BSMMU) at Shahbagh opposite Dhaka Radio station and Sheraton looking West, which is being built by Korean Contractor. Last I checked, building was completed and interior and machine installations (including PET, CAT, Radiology scanning and high-filtering HVAC units) was proceeding. This will assist patients having super specialized medical issues to not go to India and seek treatment locally.
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Bangladesh’s first super specialized hospital, scheduled for opening at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on August 28
• The 750-bed hospital was funded by low-interest loans from the Economic and Development Corporation Fund (EDCF) Korea. The total cost was Tk1,100 crore. The loans are to be repaid in 40 years, the grace period being 15 years
• The structure of the hospital has been constructed by Hyundai Development Company and the medical equipment supplied by Samsung C&T Corporation. The hospital was designed and its construction was supervised by Sunjin Engineering and Architects
• A total 56 health specialists of Korea will work in the hospital for two years from its opening.
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Both the Grameen and BSMMU super specialized medicine unit are supposed to be world class. There are two/three other private ones too in the pipeline but I don't remember details.
And the addition to the Dhaka Medical college hospital was also rather massive as planned a couple of years ago, but Sarkari projects take up forever as we all know.
When finished, DMCH campus and facilities are going to be way better than even AIIMS campus in New Delhi. But how long it takes to finish remains to be seen.
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I hope the services in these Hospitals will be so good and doctors will be so expert that our people will no more visit India.
By the way, are the Hospitals in India look as gorgeous as our soon-to-be-built Hospitals?
BananaRepublicUK
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Yep!
The top private ones are on par with good ones in U.K.
Doctors and nurses excellent.
And that’s based on my personal experience.
I sort of understand why Bangladeshis go to India.
Treatments are very cost effective.
U.K. now has a growing pool of British Sylheti doctors. Growing exponentially…
They practice medicine in between waiting tables in their parents’ restaurants And are working with their Sylheti counterparts to improve their expertise and professionalism.
Biggest problem with Bangladeshi doctors is their total lack of professionalism.
So here the Burglar is advising the Homeowner, "hey if you don't want to get burgled lock your door", Sage advise THX! But how about you refrain from stealing?Looks like you got cheated by the company you picked. If the terms of LoC are not in your favor, you should not avail the rest of the tranche. You guys have accepted similar LoC of $1 billion in 2010. You have to be prudent in what you are getting into. Look what a mess Pakistan has gotten into. They don't have the money to pay back the Chinese Power companies
my2cents
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You say, I say, does not apply in court of justice. You have to prove it with evidence. If you are wronged, you can appeal and I am sure there may exist a dispute resolution mechanism between our countries. If our 30 year long border dispute and our maritime boundaries can be settled, we can resolve other dispute like water and trade also.
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