Bangladesh needs to address inequality: Amartya Sen

Nobel laureate Amratya Sen said Monday that there should be more discussions on how Bangladesh would sustain its social and economic progress without addressing inequality in the society.    

He made the suggestion while responding to a question from economist Wahiduddin Mahmud about how it would be possible for Bangladesh to continue to achieve progress amid lack of good governance, institutional weakness, capital flight and growing bad loans.

Wahiduddin Mahmud asked the question while presenting the key note paper on ‘Amatrya Sen’s ‘Quest for a Prosperous and Just Society’ at the Amartya Sen Study Circle organized by Banglar Pathshala.    

Amratya Sen who participated in the programme through ‘Skype’ from Shantinikatan in West Bengal as he skipped the visit to Bangladesh due to coronavirus scare, said more thought should be given to the issues.   

Amratya Sen also said that NGOs like BRAC and Grameen Bank made big contributions in creating employment opportunities in Bangladesh.

Besides, he said, expansion of road networks, trade and women empowerment also helped Bangladesh to improve its social indicators placing it above India in several areas.  

Amrtya Sen said that there was a time when it took him almost a day to reach his maternal ancestral home at Sonarang, Bikarmpur, Munshiganj from Dhaka, but now the travel time is barely one and a half hours.

While discussing the theories and doctrines of Amartya Sen, Wahiduddin Mahmud said Bangladesh should follow  Sen’s theory and increase public spending on health and education as increased expenditure by individuals would increase inequality in health and education sectors.

Mashiur Rahman, economic adviser to prime minister Sheikh Hasina, supported Wahiduddin Mahmud contention but discouraged higher spending in higher education by the government.

Economist Rehman Sobhan who chaired the session said Bangladesh became the abode of inequality at each sphere of the society with diminishing democracy.

Study circle convener and economist Siddiqur Rahman Osmani  said that 12 lectures would be organized on Amrtya Sen’s works over the next one year to introduce young people with what Amartya was doing.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net