The positive NYT article on Bangladesh — which the government will hate

There is an interesting oped in the New York Times today, which favourably compares Bangladesh’s investment in children and women to the USA’s record. It is written by one of the paper’s most renown columnists and is titled: “What Can Biden’s Plan Do for Poverty? Look to Bangladesh.”

It is without doubt a pro-Bangladesh story.

It is, however, the kind of article that the current Bangladesh government is most likely to hate.

This is for the following reasons:

First, it clarifies that Bangladesh’s investment in education and girls has taken place over a thirty year period, and so the Awami League cannot take too much credit.

Secondly, it makes clear that much of the achievement is down to civil society, referring to the role of Grameen Bank and BRAC

Thirdly, it quotes Mohammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank — who is the Awami League’s bogey man, ever since he won the Nobel Peace Prize and took some initial steps of setting up a new political party.

And finally, though the article does not refer at all to the wider Bangladesh governance and human rights record, it does state, “Bangladesh hasn’t had great political leaders.”

There is only one narrative that the Bangladesh Awami League government wants people to read and hear. It is one that states all of Bangladesh’s economic achievements are the party’s own achievements, and in particular the achievements of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina and one which omits mention of the country’s governance and human rights record.

Though the NYT article did not refer to Bangladesh’s politics — its reference to Bangladesh “not having great political leaders” is enough shade for people to recognise that there is a wider story to Bangladesh than of simple economic success. This the Awami League government will hate.

In general, there is far too much written by economic writers on Bangladesh’s positive economic story, as it reaches 50 years of age — an important story to be told, no doubt, though with caveats — where they fail to say anything about the country’s political story and in particular its return to authoritarianism and all that comes with it.

These are threads that both need to be discussed in any story about the country’s 50 year record.

Postscript
Just after finishing this blog, guess what article popped up on the Twitter feed, but one by Shah Ali Farhad, the Special Assistant to the prime minister Sheikh Hasina — supporting this very thesis. In it he states that the New York Time article “is based on flawed premises and more importantly, a questionable agenda.”

Let no one question the accuracy of Netra News’s analytical powers!