Home ›› 18 Mar 2023 ›› Editorial
The conference organized by the United Nations on the least developed countries held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, is important for many reasons, especially for Bangladesh. But most importantly, it was a farewell event for Bangladesh. In 2026, Bangladesh will emerge from the list of least developed countries and emerge as a developing country. As a result, it is known that a different kind of excitement has been observed around Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this Qatar event.
The question of how Bangladesh is surpassing the list of least developed countries by showing amazing success in such a short period of time is no longer a secret for both developed and underdeveloped countries. If you type Bangladesh in Google search and write news or economy of Bangladesh and press the button, the analysis of various newspapers (internationally famous) will appear. On Monday, March 13, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was answering various questions from journalists at a press conference organized at her residence, her statement exuded the determination that she not only has an ambitious ‘vision’ for Bangladesh, but like her father Bangabandhu, she also firmly believes in it. That, no one will be able to ‘keep Bangladesh under control’.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the press conference by detailing the importance of her recent visit to Qatar and what she was able to achieve for Bangladesh through her participation. It is noteworthy that although he has gone to the conference organized by the United Nations on least developed countries, but he is actually working to bring investment from Qatar to Bangladesh. Meeting one after another with Qatari emirs, ministers and businessmen/investors. Along with this, we can know from the published news that he only speaks for Bangladesh by participating in other meetings of less developed countries.
We know that the world has not yet come out of the terrible recession that hit the whole world in 2008. As evidence, we can point out that just last week, two of the first-ranked banks in the United States collapsed, and analysts are insisting that the major collapse of the United States economy is not due to the corona epidemic or the Ukraine-war, but to the impact of the global recession of 2008. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government did not let the global recession in 2008 affect Bangladesh. The strategy adopted by Sheikh Hasina’s government to achieve sustained growth and keep inflation under control has been dubbed the ‘Bangladesh Paradox’ or the Bangladesh Surprise by international analysts.
Then came the Corona pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. The world, divided into sides and against, descends into a terrible and ugly contest. Although the world has been separated and divided since the 90s on the principle of ‘You are not with us, you are my enemy’. But nowhere do we hear any hope that the crisis created by the Russia-Ukraine war in the wake of a pandemic will deliver us any time soon. In such a situation, a country like Bangladesh that depends on foreign investment and expatriate income has to be kept in account in all cases and will continue to do so. We have seen that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government started dealing with the IMF after realizing the crisis and was able to get assistance from the IMF even in this very difficult time. Bangladesh was not ‘bailed out’ like Pakistan or Sri Lanka, the IMF provided ‘budget support’ and loans to Bangladesh. The detractors first said that the IMF was no one’s ‘uncle to get money at will’ and then when the IMF agreed to pay, started saying that the IMF had ‘bailed out’ Bangladesh. Although none of this is true, the truth is that the government had already started working on the conditions under which the IMF gave Bangladesh loans, especially in terms of financial sector reforms and government spending cuts. Now they are getting faster and faster and it appears that Bangladesh is able to maintain its own pace even in the ongoing global economic crisis. The detractors are still continuing the dirty lie that all the blame lies with ‘son-in-law Hasina’, just like that jealous mother-in-law.
When it comes to the critics, Sheikh Hasina in her natural manner dismisses them and says that what will I do if they don’t see it? I will do my work. The people of Bangladesh have given me a mandate to work and I am working for them. In Monday’s press conference as well, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina repeatedly presented her position in front of the journalists. He said that what he wants to present to the nation, he first practices it in his personal life. Introducing himself as a farmer, he said that his residence was not only in Ganabhaban - he did not leave a single inch of land uncultivated even in his village house. He even encouraged everyone in the village not to keep the land fallow. Amazingly, he told the reporters that forty-two maunds of onions were produced in Ganabhaban land alone, and his eyes were shining. Sheikh Hasina has proved time and again that when a person believes in something with all his heart, it is reflected in his behavior, and this time was no exception.
We know that Sheikh Hasina loves to talk to journalists. Televisions like Al-Jazeera, who aired a far-reaching documentary about him a few days ago and brought various accusations against his government, mixed with truth and lies. They never hide the fact that the television channel has a negative attitude about the ruling government of Bangladesh and the development of Bangladesh. But Sheikh Hasina also gave an interview to that Al-Jazeera and her critics are trying to spread on social media how Al-Jazeera harassed Sheikh Hasina by taking excerpts from that interview. Sheikh Hasina herself knows that, yet she gave an interview to Al-Jazeera and in Bangladesh she sat with the mentality of answering any question in front of the journalists. If the journalists start giving him testimonials instead of questions, it is not Sheikh Hasina’s responsibility anymore.
Sheikh Hasina also answered various questions in the discussion press conference, talked openly about various issues for two and a half hours. Of which the recent Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. In the press conference, the Prime Minister also spoke about the publication of a statement by 40 eminent persons in favor of Yunus in the form of an advertisement in The Washington Post of the United States. He has said only one thing that he has not done anything unjust and unfair to anyone but his opponents are continuously carrying out violent campaign against him, his government and even against Bangladesh at home and abroad. Sometimes by writing a column in this Washington Post recommending the cancellation of GSP facilities for Bangladesh, sometimes by calling the heads of various countries or lastly by publishing an advertisement, he answered all these in a single word that ‘We have done the Padma Bridge’. With this one sentence, he meant that no matter who or what they say, he and his government will do what is necessary for Bangladesh, useful for the people of Bangladesh. Even when asked if there is any foreign pressure on him in other matters including elections, he clearly said that “There is no pressure that can pressure Sheikh Hasina, my strength is my people”. After that, there is really nothing more to say. When a leader can speak with such firmness after running the country for 15 years, it is understood that he has not personally compromised anywhere on the issue of transparency. To make Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh understand what they deserve. How successful he has been, can be understood by looking at the appearance of Bangladesh today. There is no doubt that the Bangladesh we see in his eyes is truly wonderful and successful.
The writer is a businessperson and development worker. She can be contacted at umaiyajannat.re@gmail.com
