Experts emphasised equitable distribution of resources to improve the lives of poor people in Bangladesh as it would help the country achieve its social goals.

Following 50 years of independence, Bangladesh has achieved the expected results in agriculture, industry, education, technology and population control but the country is lagging behind in the equitable distribution of resources, they said.

The event, styled “50 Years of Bangladesh: Achievements, Challenges and Lessons”, was organised by the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) on 13 December 2021. Among the esteemed panelists were: Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Chairman, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF); Dr MM Akash, Professor and Chairman, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka; Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Dr Sohela Nazneen, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex. The webinar also featured a young group discussion by four undergraduate students from University of Dhaka. The students were: Namira Shameem, Sheikh Rafi Ahmed, Khandakar Iffah and Mubasher Haider Chowdhury. The webinar was moderated by Dr Selim Raihan, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka and Executive Director, SANEM and Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka and Research Director, SANEM.

“Only a few people have benefitted from the country’s development works as the initiatives are not sustainable and are taken without prioritising the common people,” said Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad.

For this reason, the poverty rate is increasing every year while most of the country’s wealth stays in the hands of certain people.

As such, 5 percent of the richest people in Bangladesh currently own about 28 percent of the country’s total wealth even though they collectively held around 10 percent just 10 years ago.

“This is not in line with the main goals of independence,” Dr Ahmad added.

Professor MM Akash, chairman of the department of economics at the University of Dhaka, said even after 50 years of independence, the government has not been https://iabdm.org/adderall-online/ able to collect fair taxes from rich people, which is a major obstacle for the equitable distribution of wealth.

“Dishonest businessmen, bureaucrats and politicians are the main barrier to implement good governance as 99 percent of the people are being held hostage by the top 1 percent,” he added.

Professor Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said the government is creating new poor by emphasising on indirect taxes instead of direct taxes.

“Instead, the National Board of Revenue should focus on increasing income tax collection at the individual level through proper monitoring,” Professor Rahman added.

Dr Sayema ​​Haque Bidisha said, “There was a silent revolution in our agriculture in the last 50 years. Infant mortality rate has decreased. However, there are many issues regarding what we expected and what we got. There is room for development to overcome employment challenges.”

“There is also a question whether women’s empowerment achieved at the level we wanted it to be. There is a huge inequality,” she added.

Dr Selim Raihan said, “We have to assess what we have achieved and what we could not in 50 years. We need to discuss what obstacles hinder the achievement of our goals.”

Dr Sohela Nazneen said, “There is a relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and Bangladesh’s position in the world. After 50 years of independence, as we move from a least developed country to a middle-income country, we are getting surrounded by many problems. We have to find a way out of this.”

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