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Opinion

New idea of development cooperation


Published : 18 Oct 2020 07:45 PM | Updated : 19 Oct 2020 12:24 AM

A great father produces a great child. Similarly a great man can build a great society. Bangladesh is no exception. Imm­ediately after the liberation of Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman tried his best for the welfare of Bangladesh, the country he created, and his worthy daughter Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly with a lofty ambition to bring about something different for the betterment of the lot of her people.

Sheikh Hasina has initiated an epoch-making cooperation of greater magnitude among nations, especially with the neighbouring countries. Cooperation carries absolutely a  positive meaning and non-cooperation denotes hostility that may even  lead to war. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the most farsighted and forward-looking leader of Bangladesh, is continuously pursuing the policy of cooperation and for over a decade it has been regarded as the era of development and cooperation.

In respect of the geo-political situation and with its sea limit of vast areas, Bangladesh has become enriched with a massive blue economy and is enjoying a prestigious position among its neighbours and other nations in the region of Bay of Bengal and the Pacific Rim. 

Members of G7 and G20 are keen on investing in Bangladesh and most importantly India and China, the emerging economic superpowers which are the closest neighbours of Bangladesh, have become development partners.  

Indian investment is quite big and quite a number of initiatives would certainly promote development and cooperation and make an enormous contribution to the Bangladesh economy. At the same time, China is working with some mega projects in Bangladesh. The historic Padma Bridge will earn a global reputation for the construction company of China. Japan, the biggest economic ally of Bangladesh, is simultaneously implementing several big projects in Bangladesh, and these are happening due to the most charismatic leadership of Sheikh Hasina. 

Her work spreading over a decade, which has attained a tremendous success in developing the nation, shows that she wants cooperation, without which, she well understands that development is not possible. Despite colossal problems in political, social and economic fields and the devastating extremism facing the country, Sheikh Hasina made Bangladesh a development role model for the countries  to emulate.   

Sheikh Hasina is bringing about a change in the livelihood of the rural people of Bangladesh. Her government has undertaken myriad of plans to make all sorts of civic amenities available in rural Bangladesh.    

Bangladesh is getting economically prosperous, socially developed, and technologically advanced under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership. Her single-minded devotion to work has addressed the challenges of the 21st century and the vast population living in the region of Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand, Myanmar and other countries of BIMSTEC and in South Asia, who have almost no access to modern facilities of life and could not enjoy the basic needs of life, have created the ground for a better future for the people.

Under an economic bloc, a great cooperation among the nations, is uplifting them from the place they do not deserve, can be forged.  

Creating greater cooperation in all strata of society, including culture, heritage, ideas and concept, education and social welfare, can yield a broader meaning and better the life of people, if the cooperation in the real sense of the term can be achieved. 

Bangladesh and India have already been enjoying unique cooperation and development and the areas of cooperation would certainly be expanded over the years and decades.    

As a symbol of development and cooperation, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has opened up a new window of opportunity to uplift a vast majority of people of the South Asian region by tapping its  huge resources. 

The new initiative of cooperation, which would bring together a vast population of Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Thailand, other BIMSTEC countries, Vietnam and Cambodia, can create a huge potential. 

It is worth remembering that independent Bangladesh was created with the utmost desire of the politicians of Bengal and India against the backdated religion-based two-nation theory. Millions of people sacrificed their lives for the independence of Bangladesh, but it was a great tragedy that Bangladesh voted against India in the international forum when the hostile regime, which was against the concept of independent Bangladesh, was in power. Now under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is moving on the  right track. 


Sheikh Hasina, the most admired leader of Bangladesh, 

really wants cooperation and development. 

Development is impossible without cooperation.

 To this end, Bangladesh and India at first have to take

 initiative to uplift the standard of people’s life and then the other nations,

 even China, can be involved with it as the emerging economic

 superpower has a belt and road master plan.


Sheikh Hasina, the most admired leader of Bangladesh, really wants cooperation and development. Development is impossible without cooperation. To this end, Bangladesh and India at first have to take initiative to uplift the standard of people’s life and then the other nations, even China, can be involved with it as the emerging economic superpower has a belt and road master plan. That means there is a great scope for cooperation and  development. 

There is no denying that Sheikh Hasina is very serious about the wellbeing of her country. And a huge opportunity of creating scope for the vast majority of people remains in the initiative of Sheikh Hasina.  

Tourism can be developed like that of Europe, America, The Netherlands and the Caribbean nations. Now we are talking about the broader aspects of development and cooperation, but with the cooperation already started, India has begun yielding very positive results, which, of course, could open up a new horizon of cooperation between Bangladesh and India as well as other nations of this region, if we do not sit idle and try to explore the  new venture.

The cutting-edge technology replaces the old one and the development has taken a new turn. That is why, Bangladesh is progressing fast with its latest development ideas and goals. Sheikh Hasina, the right leader for the 21st century ideas, tried her best to resolve all the problems with India, the best ally of Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina extended all cooperation with a view to bringing together over a billion of people of Bangladesh and India in her initiative. Several billion people in the regions of Australia, Japan, Korean Peninsula, South China Sea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, the Mediterranean Sea and the Bay of Bengal, can create a safe, secure and vibrant river cruise zone and can tremendously develop tourism in  the regions.

India’s seven sisters -- Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Assam -- have been brought under a massive development programme. Direct connection to the states of India from the seaport would be creating more direct and quicker commu nications.

The main idea is cooperation and with the cooperation available, there would be ample opportunity under which a new hope would be created among the people. And I am not talking about the people of a particular area, locality or region. Cooperation should, better say, must be extended when and where it is necessary.


Sharif Shahab Uddin is Editor-in-Chief, Bangladesh Post.