'Political unrest threatens BD's future success'

Bangladesh's economic development has succeeded in lifting millions from poverty, but political unrest threatens the country's stability and future success, says Dr Ali Riaz, a professor at Illinois State University, reports UNB. "If there's any roadblock to us (moving Bangladesh to a better future), it's not the economy.… It's the political structure and the political leadership," Dr Riaz said at a recent event hosted by The Heritage Foundation in Washington. In his opening remarks, Bangladesh's Ambassador to the United States, Akramul Qader, emphasised Bangladesh's impressive economic growth. He said the number of Bangladeshis living in poverty has dropped by 26 per cent in the past decade. The panelists at the event noted that the readymade garment (RMG) industry has fueled this growth, with Bangladesh second only to China as the world's largest RMG exporter. They said this economic development has increased access to jobs for women and fuelled social gains: improved literacy, longer life expectancy, and decreased infant mortality. Certainly, Bangladesh could do much better by ensuring greater economic freedom for its people. It currently ranks only 132nd out of 177 countries examined in The Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal's annual Index of Economic Freedom. Its performance is dismal in areas related to the rule of law, for instance. As the tragedies at the Tazreen Fashions Ltd and Rana Plaza have shown, haphazard construction and poor regulation have led to dangerous working conditions. In response, the US government recently suspended the Generalised System of Preferences for Bangladesh, but the ambassador said that this will hurt Bangladeshi workers more than it will help. Others on the panel had similar concerns. A far more effective approach is the major initiative taken by North American retailers to adopt binding commitments to improve factory safety in Bangladesh. The country's political challenges are no less daunting. The ongoing International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has been trying suspected war criminals from Bangladesh's 1971 independence war. Allegations of political interference and protests have tainted the trials. The reactions to the most recent verdict highlight the divide in Bangladeshi society between Islamists and moderate Bangladeshis. On one side, the moderate Shahbagh protesters, according to Maneeza Hussein from the Hudson Institute, have 'demanded more authority from the government' and called for harsher sentences. On the other hand, Dr Riaz said that protesters from Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist political party, view the ICT as a politically motivated "trial of the Islamists." He said the upcoming elections -- to be held on or before January 2014 -- will exacerbate these tensions. In the past, a nonpartisan caretaker government has operated during elections. Its presence has ensured consistent and peaceful governance, but the ruling Awami League eliminated the requirement for a caretaker government in 2011. The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) opposed this move, while the US position remained neutral. Dr Alyssa Ayres, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said, "It's up to [the Bangladeshi government] to decide on a caretaker government."