And it stands true because Pakistan is ahead in terms of PPP per capita and Poverty . Bangladesh is classified as an LDC country while Pakistan isn't.
Pakistan = $ 5100 PPP (per capita)
BD = $ 3800
Poverty gap is quite wide too . But good to know Bangladesh is progressing
BD started out in 1971,while Pakistan started out in 1947,so who do you think progressed the quickest? Also,we are around 200$ behind in GDP per capita,we can easily overtake Pakistan in 5-6 years.Also,our economy is progressing at 7% while yours at 4-5% and by 2020,ours will increase to 9-10% once the major infastructure constructions are completed and Pakistani rates would become 6-7% after getting rid of TTP and other internal problems.Bangladesh could have increased the rate drastically long ago,but our corruption limits our success...
@Russell
Bangladesh is classified as an LDC country while Pakistan isn't.
LDC constructing the second tallest building in the world and making satellites,nuclear reactors,huge deep sea ports etc? Haven't you realized yet that the LDC status is actually a "camoflague" to us.
Bangladesh is intentionally kept as LDC status. It gets better trade quotas that way.
The level of poverty is quite low in Bangladesh and probably the least in South Asia.
The time when other South Asian countries would lecture Bangladesh on poverty has come, and gone.
Bangladesh leads and has bested both Pakistan and India on poverty figures. Level of poverty is 24.6% in Bangladesh while it is 29% or so in both India and Pakistan.
Zamana badal Gaya.
24.6% ? Thats old,now it halved!
BD has a long way to go still. Key to BDs success has been empowerment of women and long may it continue.
All we need to do is to embed a proper functioning democracy, eliminate the dangerious polarisation along political lines that we have seen and we are set to go.
BD should aim high, divert as much money as possible on economy, education and population control.
As to reserves of £32bn, good I suppose, bd should use some of it to buy some oil futures or more prudently create national investment companies that can invest overseas and grow the money. Start it with couple billions of reserves, then source further funding through national investment bonds. Make it a vehicle of choice to whiten black money by making investor pay in foreign currency, no question asked but they take their interest in Taka and take a proportion of the original capital in taka. BDs primary problem is there is a lot of black money kept outside of the BD system through tax evasion whilst many many banks are dangerously geared up. Current money whitening policies breed contempt of antiquated tax regime. Do away with them I say. Bring black money back into the BD system, and put in place an indirect tax regime. If there was no need to evade tax, BD reserves would hit 100bn in a year. That money in the system could do a lot of good for BDs rating and improve the health of BD banking sector.
If it was me I would divert some of these funds to strategically buy controlling stake of a small oil company such as tallow and use it for BD exploration. We lose a lot of money to foreign companies as oil/gas exploration is not an exact science and it is very expensive for the companies as a lot of sites have to be explored before they hit jackpot. They obviously build in costs of failed exploration in their bids hence countries like BD have to pay such high prices. By owning companies like tallow the cost to BD can be lessened in the long run as shareholders BD will recover some of the cost through dividends. I would go further and get these companies to list in BD stock exchanges increasing their market capitalisation and elevating BD.
I'd just force the country into rapid mordernization like Stalin did.Wouldn't mind if I force to make some of the lazy Dhakaiya idlers do some manual work!