The policies Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman adopted and the challenges he encountered while supporting scores of returnee refugees and rebuilding war-torn Bangladesh were reflected on at a discussion held on Friday night, reports UNB.
The webinar, organised to discuss Bangabandhu's plans on rebuilding Bangladesh, featured discussions by Mashiur Rahman, Economic Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister, Dr. Rounaq Jahan, Visiting Scholar, Columbia University, Syed Badrul Ahsan, senior journalist and columnist, and Hasan Morshed, young writer and researcher. Waseqa Ayesha Khan, Finance and Planning Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, conducted the session, organised by the party's finance and planning sub-committee.
Dr Rounaq Jahan called upon the young generation to focus on substantial and quality research on Bangabandhu's role in rebuilding post-independence Bangladesh.
Mashiur Rahman, who also worked as a young government officer in a handful of ministries in post-independence Bangladesh, reminisced on that period, saying just after the independence, when Bangabandhu was yet to land in the newly liberated country, the government of India offered them some government officials, known as Civil Administration Liaison Officers, to aid our administration.
"Indian Planning Commission Member Sukhamoy Chakravarty coordinated the issue. Later, they withdrew the officers when they observed that Bangladesh had enough manpower to run the administration," he said.
Moreover, Mashiur said, a segment of Indian armed forces stayed in the country to ensure peace and order.
"Bangabandhu in a feat of unwavering commitment and courage compelled their armed forces to return to India by requesting Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi," he added.
When the 'unjust demands' and 'imposed decisions' by the World Bank, IMF, and USAID, approaching with relief and loan proposals following the independence, violated the country's interest, Bangabandhu firmly sent them off the table, said Mashiur Rahman.
He said, "Relief management is a tough job to deal with. Through this task, Bangabandhu set off in the independent country's economic aspects. The bank authorities also tried to unjustifiably shift the loan burden on Pakistan to Bangladesh. Then Bangabandhu said, it's due to my call that hundreds of thousands of Bengalis sacrificed their lives. If I call upon them once more, they will starve if necessary. Still, your unjust demands will not be accepted."
Then Bangabandhu agreed to some proposals for loans that had valid grounds, said Mashiur. Researching land and resources management in China and Russia, Bangabandhu initiated co-operatives, Mashiur added.
