Consumption patterns
September 14, 2009 00:00:00
We are told a minority -- one-fourth of the total global population -- is consuming three-fourths of the total wealth of the world. In this context a picture, published in almost all dailies, got me thinking. The picture showed a jampacked Bashundhara City, the country's largest shopping mall and people pouring into it for Eid shopping.
I am amazed to see that people can be so insensible to waste so much money where we have so many poor people in our country to feed. We are certainly going to face problems in the near future if the well-to-do continue to ignore the poor. Can we afford so much luxury?
In the greater context, we are the people of the so-called Third World countries who seem to be at the mercy of the rich countries. Within the context of Bangladesh also there are some very rich people who are hoarding wealth instead of sharing it. We cannot utilize them. The poor distribution of wealth is the main reason behind poor economic development. If we can distribute wealth equitably, we can ensure economic security to all, which will result in greater production rate and development.
There is no economic recession but man-made scarcity of wealth. We should be united to get rid of this unethical practice and help the poor in the true sense so that the gap between the rich and the poor is reduced.
Himadri Rahman
Dhaka