The Birth of Bangladesh – A Story of Independence and Struggle: Long ago, Pakistan was split into two parts: East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh, and West Pakistan, which is now Pakistan. People in East Pakistan felt unhappy because those in West Pakistan were bossing them around too much.
In an election, a political party called the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won by a lot. But the leaders in West Pakistan didn’t want to agree with the results. This made the people very mad, and they started to protest.
Things got worse when the Pakistani forces tried to stop the protests. Many people got hurt, and some even died. Then, on March 26, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said that East Pakistan was its own country now, and he called it Bangladesh.
But this made the situation even more tense. There was a big, sad war that lasted nine months. Lots of people lost their lives, and many families suffered greatly. Finally, on December 16, 1971, the Pakistani military had to give up. Bangladesh had won, with help from India. And that’s how Bangladesh became its own country.
India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan launched attacks on North India. The war had battles on two fronts. With India and Bangladesh’s forces moving fast in the east, Pakistan surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December 1971.
The war changed things in South Asia. Bangladesh became a big country with lots of people. It also affected the Cold War between big countries like the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. Most countries in the United Nations agreed that Bangladesh was its own country in 1972.
After the war, relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh haven’t been good. Many people died during Bangladesh’s fight for freedom, around 3 million.
Bangladesh’s Journey – From Struggle to Success: In 1971, Bangladesh started its journey as a new country. Back then, things were tough. The economy wasn’t doing well, with a negative growth rate of -5.48%. But as time passed, Bangladesh worked hard. In 2019, its economy grew by 8.15%. Then, COVID-19 hit in 2020, but Bangladesh still managed to keep its GDP at 5.2%. Since its independence, Bangladesh has been getting better and better. When it first started, people were very poor, with a per capita income of just $134. But in 2020, it rose to $2064.
Life for people in Bangladesh has improved a lot. In the 1970s, more than 80% of people were living in poverty. But by 2019, it dropped to 20%, with extreme poverty down to 10%. They’re aiming to cut it in half by 2030. One big success story is Bangladesh’s exports. They’ve been making a lot of money by selling things like clothes to other countries. In fact, they’re the second-largest apparel producer in the world now. Even agriculture has grown a lot. In 1972, they had a hard time producing enough food. But by 2021, they were producing more than enough, becoming self-sufficient.
Access to electricity has also improved massively. In 1991, only 14% of people had electricity. But by 2021, almost everyone did, reaching 99%. Education and health have gotten better too. The literacy rate went up from 26.8% in 1974 to 74.7% in 2019. And people are living longer now, with life expectancy reaching 72.6 years in 2020. Bangladesh has achieved a lot in terms of health too. They’ve been free from polio since 2006 and have eliminated neonatal tetanus.
In 2015, Bangladesh became a lower-middle-income country, moving up from being just a low-income one. And they’re aiming even higherBangladesh’s success has been noticed worldwide. Many other countries look up to it as a role model for things like fighting poverty and improving health and education. It’s been a remarkable journey for Bangladesh, showing what can be achieved with hard work and determination.
Bangladesh’s Journey Towards a Brighter Future: Bangladesh is getting ready for a big change. The government have a plan for the future, and they want to make the country even better. They want Bangladesh to become a high-income country by 2041. Since it became independent in 1971, Bangladesh had achieved a lot. It went from being very poor to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh showed how strong it was.
Bangladesh used to struggle a lot with poverty and hunger. But now, it’s known for making lots of things and being good at it. Even though there were some accidents in factories, Bangladesh worked hard to make them safer for workers and follow global rules for sustainability. The world started to notice Bangladesh’s success in reducing poverty. It even became the biggest country ever to graduate from being called a “Least Developed Country.” Now, Bangladesh wants to keep growing and make sure its development sustainable.
Even though Bangladesh is a small country, it has a big population. More than 160 million people live there, which is a lot compared to other countries. But Bangladesh also faces challenges like natural disasters, so it’s important for them to keep up with global standards. With everyone’s help and hard work, Bangladesh hoped to keep moving forward and become even better in the years to come.
References:
- Livemint. (2024, March 26). Google Doodle Celebrates Bangladesh Independence Day, Know history significance and more | Mint. Mint. https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/google-doodle-celebrates-bangladesh-independence-day-know-history-significance-and-more-11711414467718.html
- Bangladesh High Commission, London. (n.d.). Bangladesh High Commission, London. https://bhclondon.org.uk/liberation-war
- Janjua, H. (2021, March 31). Should Pakistan apologize to Bangladesh for the 1971 war? dw.com. https://www.dw.com/en/should-pakistan-apologize-to-bangladesh-for-the-1971-war/a-57051549
-
Admin. (2022, May 23). What milestones have Bangladesh crossed in 50 years. Centre for Research and Information. https://cri.org.bd/2021/03/26/what-milestones-have-bangladesh-crossed-in-50-years/
-
OECD/UNCTAD (2023), Production Transformation Policy Review of Bangladesh: Investing in the Future of a Trading Nation, OECD Development Pathways, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/8b925b06-en.