GDP could be reached $42,000 crore by 2011 -The Asian Age
Had Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman been alive and his development philosophy implemented, the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) size would have reached US$ 42,158 crore before 2011 with a growth rate of 9 percent or above, according to a study of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA). BEA predicts that the per capita income too would have stood at US$ 6,061 by this time.
The study says although Bangladesh has made a marked progress in socioeconomic indexes, the country could not attain the expected progress in many sectors in absence of Bangabandhu since the country's GDP size was only $8,855 crore in 2011, reports BSS.
Talking to BSS, principal investigator of the study and BEA President Abul Barkat said the study compared between 'Bangladesh's economy with Bangabandhu' and 'Bangladesh's economy without Bangabandhu'. The research considered the changes took place in the country's economic sector along with what happened in social class divisions and what could have happened, he said.
Barkat said Bangabandhu's public welfare-oriented development philosophy was wiped out through his assassination.
"As a result, we incurred a loss of a total of US$ 33,303 crore GDP in Bangladesh without Bangabandhu compared to Bangladesh with Bangabandhu," he said. "We also could not attain the target of achieving expected per capita income as it was only US$ 1,200 in 2011," the economist said.
"As a result, we incurred a loss of a total of US$ 33,303 crore GDP in Bangladesh without Bangabandhu compared to Bangladesh with Bangabandhu," he said. "We also could not attain the target of achieving expected per capita income as it was only US$ 1,200 in 2011," the economist said.
He said if Bangabandhu was alive and his development philosophy was implemented, radical changes would have taken place in the socio-economic structures where none lagged behind.
"We would have got a participative developed country as the target of Bangabandhu's philosophy was to ensure development by reducing inequity," Barkat said. Comparing Bangladesh's economy with Malaysia's in 1973, he said although the economic condition of the both countries was same at that time, Malaysia has achieved a remarkable progress
(by this time).
Malaysia, led by Mahathir Bin Mohamad, had applied the politics of nationalism while it was ruined in Bangladesh after Bangabandhu's assassination, Barkat said. "We would have overcome developed Malaysia in all socioeconomic indexes by reducing social discrimination," the economist claimed.
Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said: "We fought against oppression. With this spirit, the country achieved ultimate victory in the War of Liberation. All people irrespective of the rich or the poor joined the war".