| Historical Background |
| The People’s Republic of Bangladesh like many other countries in South Asia was also colonised and ruled by the British as a part of India – the region of East Bengal. After the departure of the British in 1947 the country was ruled by Pakistan and was renamed as East Pakistan. As a result exploitation continued and Bangladesh was the only nation in the world to fight (in 1952) even for use its mother tongue. This movement led us to our Independence in 1971. About 3,000,000 people gave their life for independence and this included most of the scholars, students and the educated sector (a special list was made by Pakistani soldiers and they were killed on the 25th March, 1971). As a result Bangladesh lost three generations of educated and intellectual people in our country. |
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| Socio-Economic Condition |
Bangladesh stands on the delta of the Bay of Bengal and is known as the land of rivers. It has the longest sea beach in the world. Regular floods and cyclones pull back the nation’s development process. In recent years this has been compounded by climate change caused by deforestation, modernisation, urbanisation and global warming. The sea level is gradually becoming higher and the sea is slower in receiving the rainwater. As a result for about half the year the lowest parts of the country remains under water and is flooded during the rainy season.
Bangladesh with a land area of 1,43,570 sq. km and a population of 143.8 million, is the world’s tenth and Asia’s sixth most populous country. The density of population is 904 persons per sq. km and the population growth rate is 1.48% per annum. A large portion of the population (76.61%) lives in rural areas. Agriculture is the main occupation and employs 63.20% of the labour force and contributes directly about 25.86% of the GDP. Other major contributors are manufacturing (15.4%), wholesale and retail trade (13.38%), and transport (9.24%).
The country enjoys a high degree of homogeneity in many respects, e.g. language, religion and culture. Muslims are the majority of the population (85%). The others are Hindu (12%), Buddhist (1.4%), Christians (0.3%) and Adivasis (Tribal) and Animist (0.3%) The state language is Bangla (there are also some tribal languages) and Islam is the state religion. The literacy rate is 68% and life expectancy at birth is 61 years. Per capita national income has increased to Tk 23,575 (US$ 100 = Tk. 65,000.) during the last decade. Still 44.3% of the population live below the poverty line and 24% are “hardcore” poor. Traditional agriculture is still dominant and the major agricultural products are paddy, wheat, jute, tea, sugarcane, and tobacco. The major export items are ready-made garments, knitwear, frozen food (e.g prawns), jute products and leather. Agricultural technology is changing though it is still constrained by low investment and small peasant holdings. The influence of globalisation has been more evident since 1991 and the country is now passing through a process of structural adjustment, privatisation, liberalisation and deregulation. The private sector and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) are now more active the country’s economic development. |
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| The Concept of Globalisation: |
| Three main elements of Globalisation and their impact on Bangladesh will be considered here. These are Liberalisation, Deregulation and Privatisation. However it is first necessary to be clear as to the current meaning of these terms: |
| Liberalisation: This involves removal of import bans, tariffs, quality restrictions and reduction of tariffs. The Government imposes structural adjustment programmes as required by the World Trade Organisation and imports are allowed access to markets. Corporations get the opportunity to export and dump excess products and expand their profits. The result is that local production is marginalized which leads to unemployment and poverty. |
| Deregulation: This is the removal of financial restrictions with the aim of ensuring that the flow of money is beneficial to big corporations. The purpose if that all investors should be given freedom and rights of production. Natural resources, indigenous peoples, culture, schools, hospitals, basic industries, social protection and the environment become commodities to be exploited rather than to be protected. Public utilities are a monopoly. |
| Privatisation: The government downsizes and offloads public utilities to private corporations. |
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| Negative Consequences and Effects of Globalisation: |
| Bangladesh has achieved some notable successes that include significant reduction in population growth and illiteracy rates, significant increases in agricultural production and women’s education and participation. However about half of the population of the country is still absolutely poor on the basis of cost-of-basic needs, two thirds of whom belong to the extreme-poor category. Socio-economic disparity is glaring and has been increasing in the wake of free market reforms implemented over the past decade and more. Poverty alleviation thus necessarily remains the uppermost priority for Bangladesh. |
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| Education |
One of the major strategies to fight poverty in Bangladesh is the need to upgrade the basic level of education. Higher literacy levels will reflect in the human development index and thus GNP achievements. Female education is a major challenge especially in Bangladesh where women’s education has long been devalued as anti-religion.
However globalisation has encouraged the privatisation of education and the result are reduced opportunities for the poorer people to have a university education. The facilities and numbers of Government and National Universities are much less than the need, whereas private universities are continuing to increase in number. Yes the great majority of people cannot afford the educational expenses of these private universities. The education curriculum has also been changed to suit the needs of the market economy, i.e. social sciences are no more considered worth study and the humanities are devalued. Education is now geared towards technological subjects such as Computer Science, Medical Science, Engineering and Biochemistry. |
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| Economy |
Globalisation has not overall benefited the poor in Bangladesh. The economic gap between the haves and the have-nots is increasing at a rapid pace. In Bangladesh pockets of luxury have been created as elite and privileged people have been greatly advantaged from the global communication, information and technology revolution and become active participants and facilitators in the global market. But, these pockets of luxury exclude and mock the poor, uneducated and deprived.
Globalisation has fostered the privatisation of industries and the growth of the free trade economy that has been accompanied by economic inequalities. Land tillers, factory workers and indigenous peoples have been displaced from their farms and ancestral domains to provide space for multinational companies, golf courses, sub-divisions and the eco-tourism ventures of government and big business. The farmers struggle to survive, as the local market is flooded with cheap imported agricultural products brought about by trade liberalisation. People who take loans from the micro-credit programmes do not tend to utilise for cottage industries as traditional products are losing value – they are used more for setting up small shops and businesses. |
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| Unemployment |
| As the capitalists reduce production cost to maximize profit, industrial workers are compelled to work on low paid wages or on a contractual basis and are victimised through massive retrenchment. The government assures the capitalist of unrestricted movement of trade and capital, tariff reductions, tax-free status and favourable industrial conditions such as no trade unions and no strikes. |
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| Culture |
| Bangladesh is also witnessing the destruction of culture and the westernisation of culture. Traditional culture and identity is being eroded through language imperialism, changing attitudes, and changing food and clothing habits and changing music and entertainment. Young people are increasingly adopted western lifestyle practices and a mono-culture is being imposed by the very multinational corporations who push their products into the Bangladesh market. |
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| Health and HIV-AIDS |
| Due to industrialisation and global changes on South Asia there are several groups especially affected by HIV-AIDS. 70-75% of commercial sex workers (prostitutes) are estimated to be HIV Positive and most usually die on the streets. Younger and younger girls are being introduced to the profession thus limiting their life. Many girls from Nepal and Bangladesh go to India but cannot come back after they fall sick or if they just wish to give up the profession. Other high-risk groups are drug addicts and those with multiple sex partners due to frustration and many other reasons. |
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| Religious Fundamentalism |
| The worldwide growth of religious fundamentalism is also seen in Bangladesh and is evident in the three main religious communities: Muslim, Hindu and Christian. Each tries to assert its position and superiority and build new mosques or churches. This is linked to the inflow of foreign currency for religious work. Thus global movements of “religious” money can stimulate fundamentalism and religious conflict. |
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| Industries |
| Globalisation has placed Bangladesh in an unequal economic race that calls for it to compete in the fast growing world economy. The two basic economic issues are to be noted (a) The Bangladesh garments industry contributes heavily to our national income. Almost 58 % of Bangladesh national income derives from this sector (b) Remittances from Bangladeshi people living outside of Bangladesh contributes yet another 28 percent so that these two spheres together make up a total of 86 percent of the national income. These figures clearly indicate the very fragile nature of the economy of Bangladesh with a huge dependence on two sectors that are extremely volatile. With regard to the garments industry, after the opening of free trade this year Bangladesh has already lost 28% of the garments market simply because of the lack of backward linkage industry or textiles. But in the similar period, garments orders have increased by 440 percent in China. However with the recent imposing of a quota on certain categories of Chinese garments by the USA may protect at least a bit of the market access for Bangladesh.
With some notable growth of textile production in recent years, some new hope is now coming into the garments sector. However two other industrial sectors are doing extremely well at the current time, namely the pharmaceutical industry and ceramic manufacturing. Bangladesh now accommodates at least FDA standard pharmaceuticals and exports drugs to North American Countries and also to Europe. There is a similar story with ceramics. Another area for optimism is the huge natural gas reserve. |
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| Some Positive Effects of Global Changes |
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| There are some positive effects of global changes upon Bangladesh: |
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| There are some new job opportunities and this may help the unemployment problem. |
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| In some areas Bangladesh may be able to take advantage of a competitive market. |
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| Product quality is improving and products are available at a competitive and reasonable price. |
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| Global communications and markets involve more contact between people of different faiths and therefore helps to create inter-faith trust and cooperation. |
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| Globalisation by promoting consistency and harmonisation may help Bangladesh integrate more and relate more with other nations in the inter-national community. |
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| A Strategic Response |
| The vision and overarching goal is to substantially reduce poverty in Bangladesh within the next generation. Bangladesh has a commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and targets set in the partnership agreement on Poverty Reduction with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Through adopting a comprehensive approach, the strategy visualizes that by the year 2015 Bangladesh would achieve the following targets: |
| Reduce by 50% those living below the poverty line. |
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| Attain universal primary education for all girls and boys of primary school age. |
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| Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education. |
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| Reduce infant and below five years mortality rates by 65% and eliminate gender disparity in child mortality. |
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| Reduce the proportion of malnourished children under five by 50% and eliminate gender disparity in child malnutrition. |
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| Reduce material mortality rate by 75%. |
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| Ensure availability of reproductive health services to all women. |
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| Role of the Church in the Context of Globalisation in Bangladesh |
This is considered with particular reference to the Church of Bangladesh. Through its Social Development Programme (CBSDP) and its Christian Ministry for Children and Youth (CMCY) this Church is working widely for the development of the poor and for their transformation. The Church of Bangladesh runs boarding and day schools, two hospitals, two trade schools, two nursing schools, a handicrafts project, women empowerment projects and micro-credit programmes and a wide range of other development programmes through the CBSDP. This includes a new Anti-Human Trafficking Project.
As a part of the follow through of the first South Asia Youth Conference and in preparation for this second conference the Church of Bangladesh has organised various seminars and a school of theology. A question has been asked of the church young people: What would be our role as youth in response to globalisation? |
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| Responses at the Individual Level |
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The following responses by individual young people in the churches can be encouraged: |
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| Study other economic approaches e.g. socialism to more deeply understand other options than the current dominant ideology of capitalism. |
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| Organisation of the local community in universities, offices, churches and villages. |
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| Study and research issue of globalisation and put information and responses in magazines, newspapers and websites. |
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| Share with family and friends and groups about our feelings and experiences about the impact of globalisation. |
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| Wear and use local products where possible and be confident of our own culture |
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| Revive local crafts. |
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| Think more carefully; pay more attention when using products or going to fast food outlets. |
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| Responses at National & Organisational Levels: |
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| More organised corporate response by Christian young people can be considered as follows: |
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| Organise a workshop in each youth organization e.g. local churches, local SCM unit, local YMCA or in secular organisations to motivate people in relation to globalisation issues. |
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| Study groups in local units: connect with other groups that are connected with similar issues, e.g. urban poor woman and children. |
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| Organise groups to live with farmers, the urban poor, indigenous peoples, refugees, slum and factory workers etc. to understand more about their concerns and issues. |
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| Provide training for young people in community organisation and in communication of globalisation issues. Seek to engage the media and press on globalisation e.g. letter to newspapers. |
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| Develop solidarity links between South East Asia, North East Asia and Asia Pacific countries. |
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| Enter dialogue regarding negative effects of globalisations with government agencies and officials. |
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| Encourage people to use local products rather than imported goods as far as possible. |
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| Conclusion |
| Christian youth and students in Bangladesh should stand besides the poor and suffering that have been negatively affected by globalisation. We should act directly, positively and creatively as peacemakers to bring peace, justice, freedom and fullness of life for all. The South Asia Youth Conferences and Network has helped to enlighten and motivate us for this responsibility. |
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| References |
Daily Observer, Article written by Dr. Mihir Kumar Roy.
Article written by Augustine Deepok Karmokar and Dr James Tejosh Das. |
