The other day we had a long debate with some professionals on how we can start with big dreams and make life worth living. When will Bangladesh become a middle-income country?
To accomplish the 'Vision 2021' by a least developed as well as overpopulated country like ours, we have only one way --- and that is to turn our huge population into skilled manpower. Our literacy rate is close to 60 per cent now, which is not quite bad. What we need to do now is improve the communication skill, especially that of English at S.S.C. and H.S.C. levels, and arrange training programmes on technical subjects, such as those falling in electrical and mechanical areas, tourism-related jobs, nursing jobs, etc.
If we can add skill to education, we can change the economic scenario of Bangladesh by 2020. We should not forget that NRBs (non-resident Bangladeshis) are the highest contributor to the country's economy as well as GDP (gross domestic product). The major segment of our NRBs comprises unskilled workers. If we can create a large class of skilled workers with minimum English communication skill, we will not have to beg for jobs. Rather we will be in a better position in terms of negotiations for payment and other facilities.
If we pay serious attention to our 9th and 10th grade students in the 64 districts in order to improve their English communication skill, they can greatly help in accomplishing the 'Vision 2021'. If they practise the communication skill for two years in school, they will be good in conversation by the time they pass S.S.C.
After that if they take vocational training in electrical or mechanical subjects or go for nursing training, they will be ready to sell their skills anywhere in the world, at a very good price indeed. To make this dream come true we just need to improve our present education system.
The area of Bangladesh is about 56 thousand square miles, of which one-third is replete with rivers, canals, streams, marshes, hills and woodlands. According to the last census, the population of Bangladesh is about 145 million, and the population growth rate is 1.34 per cent.
About 3000 people live on per thousand hectares of land in China, 3025 people in India, while 11065 in Bangladesh. Without doubt, with the high growth of population, the living condition in Bangladesh is very poor. The food grain production of the country does not meet the food demand. That is why we are used to importing food grains from different countries. The power production does not meet expectation. Educational institutions are much fewer than required. If our population increases at the present rate, we will have to face dire consequences.
Many believe if parents are educated, extra children will not be a problem. But the fact is the main objective of the government's family planning campaign is to keep the country's population under control. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman once said that population growth is the first barrier to the prospect of Bangladesh.
The people responded to his call for population planning. That's why there was a considerable success in the programme in the 70s and the 80s. In the later years, people apparently did not continue with it in the same spirit. The governments in their last two decades' democratic dispensation have not shown much prudence either.
It is not possible to make Bangladesh prosperous neglecting an important issue like population control. The government should take effective measures and create awareness at all levels of society about it.
gopalsengupta@aol.com