Weak Passport Belies Success II

Weak passport remains the same
As Bangladeshis get the blame
In Canada for soaring house price.
Henley index lays bare the development lies.

Bangladeshi passport retains 103 rd position among 116 countries for 2021 in Henley Strong Passport Index. In 2020, it held the same position. Despite the improvement from 108 to 103 in recent years, Bangladeshi passport remains one of the weakest passport (9th) in the world¹. Meanwhile, corona, internal turbulence and war made many counties' score bad. So the improvement is not an improvement at all.In the meantime, US imposed sanctions on RAB and several security establishment officials for deterioration in law and order situation. This week Canada postponed its second home program, nationality through purchase of house, for two years as property prices soar up unprecedentedly because of foreign nationals' house buying spree in that country².

Back in October last year I penned “Weak Passport Belies Success “ to highlight Henley’s then ranking of Bangladesh³. Sharing it again:

The weakening of our passport has been going on for the last seven years. In 2013,our passport was ranked at 85 in Henley Passport Index(HPI). In 2017,the green passport was slides down by 10 places. In 2019,its rank worsened further to 99.In 2020, it was ranked 101st. Perhaps not all the countries are buying our success stories⁶.

Recently, European Union published a list of asylum seekers in EU where they entered illegally by crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Bangladesh ranked second in the list.

This week Lafarge Holcim cement announced that it would sell its operations in Bangladesh.⁴

E-commerce debacle left a serious blot on reputation of the government. One after another e-commerce platform that follows multilevel marketing model failed to meet customers’ need and many simply swindled money. What could have been the success story of govt's digital economy turned out to be an embarrassing point for the government.

It has been reported that government might have avoided this incident had it been stricter to malpractices.

Meanwhile, remittances shows a downward spiral following a remarkable growth last year.

In September 2021-22,Bangladesh received remittances worth $1726.29 million whereas the sum was $2171.03 million in May this year⁵However, rising oil price could break the downward spiral as construction boom may resume in the Middle Eastern countries, riding on the high oil price.

Back in April this year,I wrote a piece titled “Falling Ranking,Fading Identity” in the wake of unrevised HPI. I would like to share some part of it again:

“Education is the area where we fall behind our neighbors. In Global Knowledge Index, Bangladesh held the lowest rank in South Asia. Its position was 112th among 138 countries.Even Pakistan and Nepal were placed ahead of us (Source: Daily Star, December 12 , 2020).

In Innovation Index, Bangladesh was far behind than its South Asian neighbors. Among the 131 economies, Bangladesh occupied 116th position. It perched on that position for three consecutive years (Source: The Financial Express, September 14, 2020).

In recent years, school drop out rate, number of child marriage have also increased. I cannot figure out how we can continue our achievements in economic and development sectors with such a sorry state in education and innovation.

What complicated the matter is the presence of three different streams of education. A greater section of the population are not at the same wavelength while reading a particular event or situation and are not behaving in the right way at a crucial occasion or circumstances.

Our 14 years of schooling is not as good as others. It is casting a shadow over our overseas development markets. In middle eastern countries where our nationals mostly took up the jobs of housemaid, drivers, agricultural workers etc , Bangladeshis find themselves in awkward situation for failing to communicate in a proper manner. It is affecting their livelihoods there. Many even fall victims to deception and cheating. In Kuwait a Bangladeshi MP in connivance with Kuwaiti officials ran a human trafficking network. Thousands of Bangladeshis were lured into their traps, losing millions of Taka and risking their lives. The issue remains a sore point in the relationship between two countries and engenders overseas employment of Bangladesh in Kuwait.

Reuters last year carried a report divulging dilapidated conditions of stranded Bangladeshis , victims of human trafficking, in Bosnian jungles.

Like those cheated Bangladeshis abroad, state of our health sector does not vouch safe for our economic success story. COVID-19 laid bare the anarchy going on in this sector. Fake screening program ran by some politically-blessed quarter alarmed us about quality of our health professionals. Poorly equipped hospitals and dearth of health professionals brought us foreign grant and support in thick and fast. To our dismay, we watched that oxygen system and 300 ventilators bought with foreign credit were locked in warehouses of Dhaka International Airport for ten months. They are meant to equip the public hospitals. Meanwhile, deteriorating condition at home led to ban flights towards countries from where most of our remittances come.

With great enthusiasm and effort, Bangladesh implements infrastructure and development projects, very few turn out to be beneficial in the end. However, same vigor and enthusiasm are not displayed while creating social institutions that aim to develop human resources at the grassroot level. Tribal nature of our politics , tendency to set a yeoman at every organization are widely seen as encumbrance to developing such institution. For the last three decades, a moribund growth has been being observed on institutions that work on youth, discrimination, literacy,digital divide, communal harmony,folklore,hygiene,rural-urban migration, inclusion of new technology, charity, music and culture. These institutions in the past played key roles in churning out quality nationals. It does not mean they have to depend on foreign fund for their operations. Community, individual and government should step in so that they can function without any trouble. COVID-19 bluntly laid it bare that our health system is not working and one fine morning we will discover, to our surprise, that our country becomes an unlivable prison. And HPI and QNI may coshare positions with other doomed countries.”⁶

Notes And References:

1” Bangladesh Ranks 103rd In Henley Passport Index2022”, Dhaka Tribune,April 04,2022. For more read at https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2022/01/12/bangladesh-ranks-103rd-in-henley-passport-index-2022

2 “Videshider Kacchey Bari Bikri Bondho Korechhey Justin Trudeau'r Saraker(Canada: Trudeau Govt Halts Sale Of House To Foreigners”,BBC Bangla,April 07,2022. For more read at https://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-61028973

3 “Weak Passport Belies Success”,Rezaul Hoque,https://hoquestake.blogspot.com,October 09,2021. For more read at https://hoquestake.blogspot.com/2021/10/weak-passport-belies-success.html?m=1

4 “Bangladesh Theke Babsha Gutiye Nichhey Lafarge HolCim(Lafarge Winds Down Bangladesh Operations)”,Sylhet Today 24,October 06,2021.For more read at https://www.sylhettoday24.news/news/details/Sylhet/125786?fbclid=IwAR07pXwOgCNECDjcN9NLpKVipVlTk52NR6VUGwNlqmHyz6aVWlFr89rzGhk

5 Bangladesh Bank.

6 “Falling Ranking,Fading Identity “,Rezaul Hoque,https://hoquestake.blogspot.com.April 19,2021.For more read at https://hoquestake.blogspot.com/2021/04/falling-ranking-fading-identity.html?m=1

And The March Continues

Global brands rally behind the exit queue
Mocking govt efforts to bring investment new.

One after another global brand continues to quit Bangladesh at a moment when Bangladesh badly needs their presence to augment employment opportunities and revenue.South African Nandos and French Lafarge are two of the latest incidents to start with.

Nandos started its journey in Bangladesh back in 2008.Later it opened several outlets in Bangladesh. As per news report, Corona made a heavy dent in its operation here, forcing it to shut down all 4 outlets in Bangladesh.¹

Lafarge was one of the few companies that had strong presence in Bangladesh. Recently, it decided to sell stocks of its operation here following a gas bill row with the government². Lafarge went to court but the court ruled in favor of the government. It is unclear why Lafarge left the country while infrastructure boom is going on.

Earlier Corona-battered big brands stopped sourcing from Bangladesh. UK-based Debenhams closed its Bangladesh office without clearing the dues. Later Debenhams' employees held press conference demanding their arrears and compensation³.

Being a less developed country that enjoys relaxation of ownership right laws on drugs,Bangladesh has long been destination of global pharmaceutical brands. However, many opted to leave the country without giving any valid reason. GlaxoSmithkline announced its closure three years ago. Its consumer division was making profit back then. So the announcement came as a surprise. French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi and Purdue Pharma followed suit.There has been some issues in business environment or governance. None bothered to search the answer.

In IT, Accenture, an Indian IT firm doing some content related work for Telenor in Bangladesh, abruptly declared closure of its operations in Bangladesh. This kind of announcement did not send positive signal abroad to foreign investors. Meanwhile, key businesses and funds to stimulate business are being concentrated into the hands of some cronies who have proven that they are unable to bring the much needed wind of change in the economy. From garbage collection to public infrastructure construction, one can see the footprints of powerful oligarchs who spare no means to get rid of any competitor or obstacle. Recent drive against casino is an eye opener. Greed of the few brings down the whole system and corrupts the process of transparent dealing. In the end, government spending does not stimulate the private sector, plays no role to create any meaningful jobs and finds innovative ways to be laundered abroad.

A handful of groups are responsible for the bad loans that cause bankers and government officials to spend sleepless nights as piling up of bad loans poses serious menace to the economy. From container transportation through waterways to direct to home TV services, powerful oligarchs control the vital businesses , leaving little room for private sector, which will take the onus to propel the economy, to play any leading role.

This is indeed not a very promising sign for the future course of the economy, which requires a holistic growth approach to create more opportunities for all and to accelerate the trickle down process to dispel inequality.

One global brand after another abandons Bangladesh, mocking the indicators that say business climate is improving. Meanwhile, concentration of wealth into the hands of the powerful few augurs ill for Bangladesh economy⁴.

Notes And References:

1 “Nandos Keno Bangladesh Chhere Gelo (Why did Nandos leave Bangladesh)? “,Business Inspection Bd,December 17,2021Link here

2 “Lafarge Ki Bangladesh Chharte Chain(Does Lafarge want to quit Bangladesh)?”,Mehedi Hasan Rahat,Bonikbarta, October 06,2021 Link here

3 “Winter Is Coming!”, Rezaul Hoque,https://hoquestake.blogspot.com,January 17,2021,Link here

4 “Big Brands Ditch Bangladesh”,Rezaul Hoque,https://hoquestake.blogspot.com,November 07,2019,Link here

La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

(01 octobre--- 08 octobre)

Selon un reportage, 11 escrocs ont été appréhendés pour avoir opéré faux microcrédit par appli. Selon un autre reportage, une agence d’assurance a volé TK 30 millions depuis les consommateurs.

Selon un reportage, le gouvernement a arrêté diffusion des chaînes étrangères au Bangladesh. Le gouvernement a ordonné les opérateurs de chaîne câble d’émettre chaînes étrangères sans publicité à partir de 1er octobre.

Selon un reportage, la société française Lafarge va bientôt vendre sa cimenterie au Bangladesh.