ED: Living up to new expectations

Covid-19 has been devastating for nations in more ways than one, from being a direct cause of death for more than 1.7 million people across the world to wreaking havoc with economies, destroying the lives and livelihoods of millions more in the process.

Bangladesh was no exception in this regard -- our impressive economic growth stood at over 8% in 2019 but, this year, GDP growth has dipped to below 4%.

But, under the circumstances, this number is also a sign of hope: Due to certain key decisions taken by the government early on -- from strict lockdowns to substantial stipends aimed at well-targeted industries -- we have recovered and stands as a sign of commendable partnerships formed between public institutions and private organizations.

But this is merely the tip of the iceberg. According to experts at London-based think-tank Centre for Economics and Business Research, Bangladesh is expected to grow at an annual rate of 6.88% in the next five years, with the potential to become the world’s 25th largest economy by 2035 -- lofty expectations, to say the least.  

These achievements, especially in the context of a worldwide pandemic, are worth celebrating, but, at the same time, serve as a reminder of how the outcome for us could very well have been quite different.

At the end of the day, we must remember that these numbers represent potential -- and potential is ours to lose.

In the wake of the discovery of a new variant of Covid-19 in Bangladesh -- which experts have so far said are not a cause of concern as of yet -- and with the knowledge of how poor decision-making has led to devastating consequences, both at home and abroad, it is imperative that we continue to remain vigilant against not only the pandemic, but also corruption, which lies at the root of Bangladesh’s problems.

Our dreams of middle-income status, of Digital Bangladesh, of Sonar Bangla can only be achieved through eliminating corrupt behaviour and focusing on the values on which this nation was built.