According to economists, farmers, particularly those in the agricultural sector, alongside industrial workers—especially those in the garment industry—and Bangladeshi migrants working abroad, played pivotal roles in propelling the nation’s economic development during its initial five decades of autonomy. Nevertheless, their contributions are anticipated to undergo changes in the trajectory of future growth, as stated in the book titled “Fifty Years of Bangladesh: Economy, Politics, Society, and Culture,” launched at a program held at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Dhaka.
Published by Routledge of London in November 2023, the book delves into the diverse facets of Bangladesh’s developmental journey, encompassing economic and social transformations, as well as political and cultural dynamics. It offers fresh empirical insights complemented by critical analyses of the processes, stakeholders, and actions that have shaped Bangladesh’s evolution.
Structured into six sections, the book provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary narrative of Bangladesh’s narrative. During the launch event, Selim Raihan, Executive Director of the South Asian Network of Economic Modelling and one of the authors, underscored how the economy prospered amidst growing institutional weaknesses and declining regulatory standards. Highlighting concerns for the future, he emphasized the necessity of political consensus to address persistent issues like corruption and resistance to reform.
Rizwanul Islam, former Special Advisor on the employment sector at the International Labour Office in Geneva, noted that the substantial GDP growth owed much to labor, dispelling the notion of any miraculous economic transformation. He credited advancements in agricultural productivity, facilitated by high-yield rice seeds, for the sector’s significant contribution to GDP growth. Additionally, he acknowledged the silent revolution driven by industrial workers and the crucial role played by remittances from overseas Bangladeshi workers.
The launch event also featured insights from prominent figures including Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Chairman of CPD; Hossain Zillur Rahman, Executive Chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre; Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow of CPD; and Zahid Hussain, former lead economist at the World Bank’s Dhaka office.
