The English Speaking Union of Pakistan recently organized an event titled ‘Bangladesh: A Journey to Development’. H.E. Md Ruhul Alam Siddique, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan, was the chief guest.
In his address, Bangladesh High Commissioner Md Ruhul Alam Siddique dwelt on the 51-year journey of Bangladesh, the erstwhile East Pakistan that broke away from West Pakistan and became an independent country in 1971.
“Bangladesh didn’t start from zero; it initiated its journey from minus,” said the High Commissioner.
He said that when Bangladesh was created as an independent nation in 1971, it inherited a series of perpetual socio-economic issues such as an oversized population, a life expectancy of below 48 years and no foreign currency reserves. Reoccurring famines and floods further aggravated the situation along with acute food insecurity and immense psychological trauma, with almost no immediate remedy in sight.
According to high commissioner, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid introduced ‘Vision 2021,’ a roadmap devised for the rapid progress and development of Bangladesh. The ‘Vision 2021’ programme, from the outset, had some key targets about infrastructure development, achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), building a social system network, especially for the poor people, and developing the country’s knowledge base.
The ‘One House, One Farm’ initiative of the Bangladesh government encouraged poor people to grow their own food and under the ‘Houses for All’ programme the construction sector was supported to build houses for the homeless. Various measures were also taken to diminish the worsening effects of global warming and climate change.
He said Pakistan is very important for Bangladesh as it is a source of raw material for their booming textile industry. Bangladesh is now working to make it easier for Pakistani nationals to get a Bangladesh visa to help them visit the country. He also said that Bangladesh has been following a well-defined foreign policy under the theme of ‘friendship with all, malaise for none’. ‘
Kalim Farooqui, President, ESUP, Irfan Qureshi, Vice President, ESUP and Majyd Aziz, Secretary General, ESUP, also spoke on the occasion. A lively question and answer session concluded the event.
As of 2020-21, Bangladesh, with a total population of 166.50 million, has a GDP per capita of $1,888. In contrast, Pakistan has a total population of 220.9 million while the country’s GDP per capita is 1,193.73 USD. Bangladesh’s per capita income is $2,554, while GDP per capita or the economic output of a Pakistani citizen rests at around $1,543. Bangladesh has a growth rate of 1.2 per cent, compared to Pakistan’s growth rate of 1.9 per cent. During FY 2021, Pakistan’s exports registered about $25.304 billion while the total exports of Bangladesh are $41.2 billion. Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves stand at $40.1 billion, compared with Pakistan’s $9.72 billion. 
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