tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post783709740460644230..comments2024-03-18T16:01:13.871-07:00Comments on Haq's Musings: Comparing Bangladesh With Pakistan in 2012Riaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-7947568479151795372019-04-22T08:54:18.882-07:002019-04-22T08:54:18.882-07:00What is the position of Brother Riaz now in 2019 ?...What is the position of Brother Riaz now in 2019 ?<br />Is he still obsessed with a strong antibangladeshi emotions , Skewed ideas and strong denial of east pakistans political and economic exploitation by pak regime for 23 years ?<br />A proud bangladeshihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17134427637056795033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-34485368964309442572016-05-18T10:08:12.868-07:002016-05-18T10:08:12.868-07:00#Drought-hit India's plan to divert Ganges and...#Drought-hit India's plan to divert Ganges and Brahmaputra river water will hit #Bangladesh hard<br /><br />India is set to start work on a massive, unprecedented river diversion programme, which will channel water away from the north and west of the country to drought-prone areas in the east and south. The plan could be disastrous for the local ecology, environmental activists warn.<br /><br />The project involves rerouting water from major rivers including the Ganges and Brahmaputra and creating canals to link the Ken and Batwa rivers in central India and Damanganga-Pinjal in the west.<br /><br />The minister of water resources, Uma Bharti, said this week that work could start in a few days. A spokesperson from her department told the Guardian that the government is still waiting for clearance from the environment ministry.<br /><br /><br />India's drought migrants head to cities in desperate search for water<br />Read more<br />The project will cost an estimated 20tn rupees (£207bn) and take 20 to 30 years to complete.<br /><br /><br />--------<br /><br />Scientists say the government needs to do a full audit of its existing water resources and analyse the environmental impact of linking rivers before pressing on with its plans.<br /><br />Dr Latha Anantha, from the River Research Centre, said the project could be catastrophic for India’s river-dependent ecology. “The government is trying to redraw the entire geography of the country,” she said. “What will happen to communities, the wildlife, the farmers who live downstream of the rivers? They need to look at a river not just as a source of water, but as an entire ecosystem.<br /><br />“They will have to dig canals everywhere and defy the ecology of the country. It is a waste of money and they have overestimated how much water there is in the rivers they want to divert.”<br /><br />Governments have toyed with the idea of redrawing river routes since the 1800s, when the country was still under colonial rule. The resulting disputes still play out today. The Mullaperiyar dam, which diverted water from the southern state of Kerala to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, was built in the late 1800s, and was considered at the time to be one of the most extraordinary feats of engineering ever achieved. Now, the two state governments continue to dispute control of the dam.<br /><br />----------<br /><br />The river-linking project could lead to further disputes not just between states, but with the neighbouring government of Bangladesh. India’s plans will affect 100 million people in Bangladesh, who live downstream of the Ganges and Brahmaputra and rely on the rivers for their livelihoods. On Monday, Bangladesh’s minister of water, Nazrul Islam, urged the Indian government to take Bangladesh’s water needs into considerationnoting that 54 of 56 Indian rivers flowed through the country.<br /><br />“India is giving a lot of importance to its own people hit by drought,” he said, “but it must not ignore our rights.”<br /><br />The Indian water resources ministry spokesperson said: “The Indian government is addressing Bangladesh’s water problems too,” adding that ministers from the two countries had discussed the water issue in the past. “We don’t have the details, but we will ensure Bangladesh gets its share of water too.”Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-77468871813526754602016-02-14T19:55:42.088-08:002016-02-14T19:55:42.088-08:00#Indian #Muslims in West Bengal poorer, less liter...#Indian #Muslims in West Bengal poorer, less literate and less healthy than #Hindus http://m.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/muslims-in-west-bengal-more-deprived-disproportionately-poorer-amartya-sen/article8237670.ece …<br /><br /><br />Muslims, who form 27.01 per cent of West Bengal’s population, “constitute a very large proportion of the poor” in the State, Professor Amartya Sen said.<br /><br />He was releasing a voluminous report on the condition of Muslims in West Bengal titled ‘Living Reality of Muslims in West Bengal.’<br /><br />“The fact that Muslims in West Bengal are disproportionately poorer and more deprived in terms of living conditions is an empirical recognition that gives this report an inescapable immediacy and practical urgency,” Prof. Sen said, releasing the report with long chapters dedicated to education, health, economic conditions and gender of Muslims of Bengal who constitute a majority in 65 of 341 blocks in the State.<br /><br />The survey — the most extensive one on Bengal’s Muslims — was carried out in 325 villages and 75 urban wards from a sample of 81 community development blocks and 30 municipal bodies. The 368-page report was produced by two Kolkata-based research organisations, Association SNAP and Guidance Guild, in association with Prof. Sen’s trust, Pratichi India.<br /><br />Low literacy rate<br />Though the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has claimed to have played a significant role in the uplift of Muslims in Bengal since 2011, the report points to little improvement in areas such as literacy, health or participation in work. For example, Muslims have a literacy rate seven per cent lower than the State’s average.<br /><br />“Around five per cent of those who discontinued education admitted lack of motivation as the factor behind dropping out of school as they did not see any future benefits from education,” the synopsis said. However, the report has not named any political party or held any government institution responsible.<br /><br />In the health sector, the condition of, Muslims is no better and the report observes on the basis of State government data and field-level survey that “when Muslim population percentage increases in the blocks, the hospital facilities dwindle down.”<br /><br />As a result “almost double the number of hospital beds is available in blocks with less than 15 per cent population share of Muslims in comparison with blocks having 50 per cent or above of (Muslim population).” Such discrimination is underscored in nearly every page of the report.<br /><br />While in the entire report it was never said the ruling party in the State is responsible for the discrimination against the main minority of Bengal, it is expected to take political colour as it has been released only months before the Assembly elections.<br /><br />Muslim bodies differ<br />One of the most well-spread cadre-based Islamic political organisation, Jama’at e Islami-Hind (JIH), West Bengal, which does not contest elections or is affiliated to any political party, believe that Muslims of Bengal have “moderately benefited” during the TMC rule. The media and public relations chief of JIH, Masihur Rahman, underscored how the minorities have benefited during TMC’s rule, without referring to the report.<br /><br />“Firstly, the number of Muslim students clearing West Bengal Civil Services is much higher than in earlier years. It is 24 this year. Secondly, Aliah University, started during the Left’s time, was given a grant of Rs. 300 crore and many hostels for Muslim girls were built in the districts,” said Mr. Rahman.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-76760511401081334632015-03-26T22:32:04.286-07:002015-03-26T22:32:04.286-07:00Bangladesh in crisis by Raza Rumi
The recent poli...Bangladesh in crisis by Raza Rumi<br /><br />The recent political turbulence sweeping Bangladesh has cost more than 100 lives since January and job strikes have brought near standstill to Dhaka, the country’s capital and economic nerve center. Stretching back to independence, the country’s divorce with Pakistan has left a trail of political instability resulting from frequent military interventions, high-profile political assassinations and a dysfunctional democratic order that revolves around two political parties. Atop these bipolar camps are two women known as the ‘Begums’ — the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League (AL) and the opposition leader Khaleda Zia. The former is the daughter of the country’s founder and national hero Sheikh Mujib ur Rehman, and the latter the widow of the first military ruler Gen Zia ur Rehman, who was popular with the conservative sections of society.<br /><br />---<br />On January 5, the date coinciding with the first anniversary of 2014 elections, the opposition called for countrywide demonstrations under the slogan ‘Murder of Democracy Day’. The government responded with an iron hand by arresting members of the opposition parties and banning the demonstrations. In reaction, the opposition called for an indefinite blockade of road and railways leading to Dhaka. The demonstrations by the opposition and counter-demonstrations by the ruling AL party have since continued and many have turned violent. The government confined Zia for more than two weeks and accelerated the prosecution of corruption charges against the opposition leader. Members of the JeI have also been pressurized through pending court cases for the party’s support to Pakistan during the 1971 War of Liberation. Since January, 7000 opposition activists and supporters have been detained by the police. More than 100 people have lost their lives during street battles, arson attacks, and bombing of the buses while 20 opposition supporters allegedly died through extra-judicial methods.<br /><br />Civil society in Bangladesh is deeply worried. The last time such a political deadlock happened was in 2007 when the military intervened. Nurul Amin, a political analyst at North South University in Dhaka, says the hardliners in both camps “think no compromise is possible.” Similarly, Citizens for Good Governance say the two leaders are acting as “partisan authoritarians,” who are dividing the country “into two warring camps.” Human Rights Watch has also expressed concern, saying “violent crimes being committed by some members of the opposition cannot justify killings, injuries, and wrongful arrests by the government.”<br /><br />Economic and Government Woes<br /><br />In the midst of this political turbulence, Bangladesh’s economy has been rocked with a communications blockade, urban violence, and a prevailing sense of uncertainty in the country. The hardest hit is the $24 billion a year ready-made garments industry. The supply chain of the industry has been disrupted. The Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) maintains that the garments industry has already incurred a loss of over $3.9 billion while the retail sector may have suffered losses to the tune of $2.1 billion. The agriculture sector of the country has also been affected to the tune of $533 million in recent weeks as farmers are not able to move their products to the cities due to the blockades. Moody’s downgraded the country’s credit rating because of the ongoing political violence. <br /><br />http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/26/bangladesh-on-the-brink/Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-7918192071882657532014-09-03T13:17:37.471-07:002014-09-03T13:17:37.471-07:00If both countries economies grow at current levels...If both countries economies grow at current levels for the next few years then I think we (Bangladesh) should be able to overtake Pakistan in the next few years. <br /><br />The estimates for Pakistan for 2014 is $245bn nominal GDP and $576bn PPP while Bangladesh is projected to grow to $175bn nominal and $419bn in PPP for the same year. But since Bangladesh is and has been growing at 6% and Pakistan around half that, a few more years of those respective rates should result in Bangladesh eclipsing Pakistan within a matter of years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-67312191648148126902014-07-01T15:47:48.226-07:002014-07-01T15:47:48.226-07:00Dear Mr. Haq,
Many thanks for such a wonderful blo...Dear Mr. Haq,<br />Many thanks for such a wonderful blog, it is enlightening and balanced. <br />"Dead Reckoning" is a book some of the commenters need reading.Khalid Gorsinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-22197794704322507352014-05-17T09:54:06.018-07:002014-05-17T09:54:06.018-07:00World Bank's 2012 data show Bangladesh's P...World Bank's 2012 data show Bangladesh's PPP GDP is $372 billion and Pakistan's PPP GDP at $795 billion is more than twice Bangladesh's. <br /><br />http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD/countries/1W?order=wbapi_data_value_2012%20wbapi_data_value%20wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc&display=defaultRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-61838120949929150682013-12-24T08:20:20.257-08:002013-12-24T08:20:20.257-08:00The military crackdown in EP on March 25 was under...The military crackdown in EP on March 25 was undertaken to stop the slaughter and rape of non-Bengalis and pro-government Bengalis undertaken by AL militants and to save the federation from breaking apart. While it achieved its short-term objectives, in reality it lost the first battle of united Pakistan. Thereon, it was a downhill journey. Had the military action not been undertaken, the AL with the help of East Bengal Regiments and East Pakistan Rifles and Police together with ex servicemen and armed infiltrators from India would have unleashed its battle plan which was to go into effect on the morning of 26 March to forcibly takeover EP.<br />Besides addressing political grievances, Yahya Khan went a step ahead of Ayub Khan to address inter-wing economic disparities and gave out categorical orders to narrow down the gap between the two wings. 52.5% resources were allotted to the eastern wing as against 47.5% to West Pakistan. Capital inflow in East Pakistan increased from 40 to 75%, while the investments grew from 39 to 54%. Rs. 231 crores was allocated for development in public sector as against Rs. 190 crores for West Pakistan. The development loans to East Pakistan that stood at Rs. 28.77 crore in 1957-58 increased to Rs. 210.41 crore in 1970-71, that is, an increase of 631%. West Pakistan received only Rs. 126.07 crore loans in that year. Grants in aid from the government to East Pakistan grew from Rs. 7140 crore in 1948-49 to 1958-9 to that of Rs. 293.89 during 1958-59 to 1970-71; that is, an increase of 312%. In case of western wing, the increase was only 202%.<br />By 1971, East Pakistan had 600 major industries. These included 77 jute mills, 4 paper mills, 2 paper-board/newsprint mills, 20 sugar mills, 42 cotton mills, one huge steel mill, a petroleum refinery, one oil refinery, 2 Rayon mills, about 30 match factories, several oil and vegetable ghee mills, two fertiliser factories, leather tanning factories and a cement plant. Tea production had shot up considerably to the extent that East Pakistan met the needs of West Pakistan at a higher rate. East Pakistan became self-sufficient in sugar, fertiliser and tea and started exporting tea, jute items, tanned leather, paper and newsprint. Sugar production increased from 23000 tons to over one lakh tons in 1970. Out of 23 match factories in the country, 20 were in East Pakistan. Consequently, West Pakistan had become a captive market instead of East Pakistan. In the field of education, there were five universities, three colleges and six schools of engineering, eight polytechnics, five colleges and several schools of medicine, dozens of hospitals and more than 200 degree colleges for arts and science. It had more than 3000 miles of metalled road and its power capacity exceeded 100,000 KW.<br />Two modern ports were built at Chittagong and Chalna. Besides, a welfare-oriented scheme was put into operation in East Pakistan in middle 1970 by virtue of which commercial banks provided loans to the depressed class. Head offices of the House Building Finance Corporation, Refugee Rehabilitation Finance Corporation and IDBP were shifted to Dacca in 1970. With this kind of development in all the fields at a massive scale, it was indeed preposterous on part of the vested groups within East Pakistan to sing the song of exploitation by West Pakistan. Having laid a sufficiently strong economic base, it would have achieved greater political strength with improved degree of provincial autonomy. By all standards, East Pakistan would have gained by keeping within the federation of Pakistan. Bangladesh’s prosperity owes a great deal to Ayub Khan’s reforms. Barring the hard core Awami League members, even to this day the people of Bangladesh hold Ayub Khan in high esteem.<br />The falsehood of the manipulated grievances was exposed within the first two years of creation of Bangladesh. The agonising truth dawned upon the people of Bangladesh that they had been cheated and duped by Mujib and AL. <br /><br />http://paktribune.com/articles/Yahya-Khans-contributions-in-East-Pakistan-243161.htmlFarhatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-42194378396822714072013-12-15T16:35:45.261-08:002013-12-15T16:35:45.261-08:00I think JI leader Abdul Quader #Molla's real &...I think JI leader Abdul Quader #Molla's real "crime" was that he opposed the creation of #Bangladesh and supported #Pakistan in 1971 war. There have been very serious concerns by Int'l Bar abt fairness of #Bangladesh courts. <br /><br />http://www.crimesofwar.org/commentary/bangladesh-a-free-and-fair-war-crimes-tribunal/ … <br /><br />Sarmila Bose on 1971 pictures of dead West #Pakistanis deliberately mislabeled as #Bengalis: <br /><br />http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060319/asp/look/story_5969733.asp<br /><br />UN HR chief Navi Pillay says Molla's trial "did not meet international standards". http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304202204579251920015956990 …Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-43433789402779348852013-11-20T10:44:34.255-08:002013-11-20T10:44:34.255-08:00New Article on 1971:
http://www.newyorker.com/onl...New Article on 1971:<br /><br />http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/11/nixon-kissinger-tapes-east-pakistan.htmlHopeWins Juniornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-20745494058326960382013-08-03T15:47:02.650-07:002013-08-03T15:47:02.650-07:00The observatory of economic complexity at MIT rank...The observatory of economic complexity at MIT ranks countries by the level and diversity of trade in terms of products and partners. It ranks Pakistan at 81, well ahead of BD at 104. <br /><br />http://atlas.media.mit.edu/country/pak/<br /><br />http://atlas.media.mit.edu/rankings/country/Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-87222072957315598282013-08-03T15:36:36.141-07:002013-08-03T15:36:36.141-07:00Bari: "Pak GDP per cpaita is indeed higher th...Bari: "Pak GDP per cpaita is indeed higher than BD -- but given how fast BD textile sector is developing(still) -- things will look different in 3 years"<br /><br />Textile growth in BD is the result of US and European cos hopping to cheaper and cheaper locations to exploit extreme poverty and non-existent safety standards---hence the worst ever disasters in BD factory building collapses and fires last year and this year.<br /><br />Being among the poorest and least developed countries of the world as defined by UN and WTO, BD also gets special preferences called GSP+ for exports.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-45291368531368084552013-08-03T15:35:40.811-07:002013-08-03T15:35:40.811-07:00Pak GDP per cpaita is indeed higher than BD -- but...Pak GDP per cpaita is indeed higher than BD -- but given how fast BD textile sector is developing(still) -- things will look different in 3 yearsBarinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-44510079933585586102013-07-11T14:32:36.268-07:002013-07-11T14:32:36.268-07:00Here's a Dhaka Tribune report comparing Bangla...Here's a <a href="http://www.dhakatribune.com/long-form/2013/jul/11/how-does-bangladesh-measure" rel="nofollow">Dhaka Tribune</a> report comparing Bangladesh, India and Pakistan:<br /><br /><i>South Asia is one of the fastest growing regions of the world and is home to one-fifth of the global population. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the three largest economies of the region, hold the key to lifting several millions out of the vicious poverty cycle into economic prosperity. Although traditionally India and Pakistan generated the most interest around the globe,<br /><br />Bangladesh has come into the spotlight over the past decade with drastically improving social indicators and a growth rate of around 6% throughout the financial crisis and global recession.<br /><br />So how has the Bangladeshi economy performed over the past decade compared to the Indian and Pakistani economies?<br /><br />The simplest measure of economic well-being of a country is its GDP per capita which is a measure of the value of total goods and services produced in a country divided by the total population. From the graph below, one can see that all three nations have more than doubled their GDP per capita with India and Pakistan bringing larger absolute increase compared to Bangladesh.<br /><br />Sadly, Bangladesh continues to remain poorer than India and Pakistan with the gap increasing over the decade and the gaps in absolute terms have more than doubled with India and Pakistan (see graph 1).<br /><br />A much more dynamic performance of the economy can be seen from observing the trend in the economic growth rate of the three nations. The Bangladeshi economy maintained a near constant growth rate of around 6% throughout the decade compared to the large gyrations in growth rate of India and Pakistan and it managed to do so throughout the global financial crisis of 2008-12.....<br />---------<br />Long term growth potential in an economy can usually be seen from gross savings (% of GDP). Gross savings is gross national income and net transfers less total consumption in the economy. Saving in an economy is important as it in turn provides internal fund for borrowing and investment in the economy.<br /><br />Bangladesh did manage to attain the highest gross savings as a proportion of GDP by 2011. It saved over 30 cents for every $1 of goods and services produced from year to year since 2003. This broadly shows that the country has a large potential to bring about significant investment from its own fund just like India and unlike Pakistan which saw a drastic fall in gross savings over the decade (see graph 4).<br /><br />However, capital formation has been rather sluggish in Bangladesh despite growth in savings. Gross capital formation (Gross domestic investment) as a proportion of GDP remained constant at 25% throughout the decade unlike India, which increased it significantly. This shows that, in general, Bangladesh has been building less infrastructure and investing less in industries than it can, something that the government needs to take look into account.<br />--------<br /></i><br /><br />http://www.dhakatribune.com/long-form/2013/jul/11/how-does-bangladesh-measure<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-4575965382308886992013-05-15T21:00:39.610-07:002013-05-15T21:00:39.610-07:00According to World Values Survey done by two Swedi...According to World Values Survey done by two Swedish researchers, India, Jordan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong by far the least tolerant. <br /><br />In only three of 81 surveyed countries, more than 40 percent of respondents said they would not want a neighbor of a different race. This included 43.5 percent of Indians, 51.4 percent of Jordanians and an astonishingly high 71.8 percent of Hong Kongers and 71.7 percent of Bangladeshis.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the Swedish economists did not include all of the World Values Survey data in their final research paper. So I went back to the source, compiled the original data and mapped it out on the infographic above. In the bluer countries, fewer people said they would not want neighbors of a different race; in red countries, more people did.<br /><br />Pakistan, remarkably tolerant, also an outlier. Although the country has a number of factors that coincide with racial intolerance – sectarian violence, its location in the least-tolerant region of the world, low economic and human development indices – only 6.5 percent of Pakistanis objected to a neighbor of a different race. This would appear to suggest Pakistanis are more racially tolerant than even the Germans or the Dutch.<br /><br /><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/15/a-fascinating-map-of-the-worlds-most-and-least-racially-tolerant-countries/Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-86460353802490595852013-04-15T11:16:39.814-07:002013-04-15T11:16:39.814-07:00Here's interesting data on GDP of Indian state...Here's interesting data on <a href="http://unidow.com/india%20home%20eng/statewise_gdp.html" rel="nofollow">GDP of Indian states</a>...look at the per capita incomes of Chadigarh, Punjab and Haryana and compare with West Bengal:<br /><br />Chadigarh Rs. 140,073<br /><br />Punjab Rs. 78,594<br /><br />Haryana Rs. 109,064<br /><br />West Bengal Rs. 55,222<br /><br />http://unidow.com/india%20home%20eng/statewise_gdp.htmlRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-31686906053040065452013-03-23T21:49:31.227-07:002013-03-23T21:49:31.227-07:00Here's an interesting Op Ed by Mazur Ejaz in F...Here's an interesting Op Ed by Mazur Ejaz in <a href="http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta3/tft/article.php?issue=20130322&page=9" rel="nofollow">Friday Times</a>:<br /><br /><i>The condition of an economy is often confused with the financial health of its government. Pakistan's economy is perceived to be in a deep hole because of its near-bankrupt fiscal conditions. Similarly, America's inability to settle on a national budget is taken to be an indicator of the collapse of the US Empire.<br /><br />In some ways, the condition of the economy and the financial health of the government are separate matters. Major stock market indexes at Karachi Stock Exchange and the Wall Street are at their highest level, but both governments are facing serious financial problems. Most of the countries around the world are facing similar dichotomous situations. So how does one solve the riddle of the corporate sector making record profits while governments around the world are in serious financial jeopardy?<br /><br />The phenomenon needs to be analyzed at grass-roots level. A shopkeeper from my village comes to mind. He told me that he sells PTCL internet cards grossing about Rs 9,000 every day. There are several other such shops in the village. That means that just in one village, the total sale of PTCL internet cards is up to 50,000 rupees. This consumer item was not present five years ago, which means hundreds of computers have been bought in the village recently. Furthermore, if such luxury products are making such huge profits for village shops, traders throughout the country must be making much larger profits selling essentials every day. One of the indicators of booming business in our village is that the United Bank branch in the village is doing very well, according to its manager. <br /><br />There are thousands of such villages in the country, and that gives one an idea of the mammoth growth of rural markets. Such an undocumented economy is not even factored in estimating the economic growth of the country. From these supposedly marginal markets, one can extrapolate the profits of the corporate sector in towns and cities.<br /><br />It may be astounding for some that Pakistan's banking sector is considered fourth in profitability in the entire world. Producers of other major industrial and agricultural products are also making huge profits. Cement, fertilizer, automobile, construction and telecommunication industries are doing extremely well. Other than the textile industry, which has been hit by power shortages, there is hardly any manufacturer or importer/exporter of any kind of goods who is not making money. The stock markets look at the profits of these industries and price them accordingly. Therefore the claims of Pakistan's economic growth are not a fairy tale. The evidence is out there in the market.<br /><br />The government is also like a large corporation whose income depends mainly on tax revenue. Most of the goods and services (such as roads, defense, education and health) provided by the government are public goods which are not priced directly. The government has to price its public goods through direct taxes on income and sales, or indirectly. Following a certain brand of capitalism, countries like Pakistan and the US are not collecting enough taxes to cover the cost of public goods. They have failed mainly in collecting direct taxes on income. While Pakistan cannot implement an appropriate tax collection mechanism because of corruption, the US has leaned towards favoring high income groups and ended up in a jam. The net result is the same: the rich are getting richer, appropriating most of the new wealth generated.... </i><br /><br />http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta3/tft/article.php?issue=20130322&page=9Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-87853598612402944092013-03-13T07:14:48.211-07:002013-03-13T07:14:48.211-07:00Bangladesh Court sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami leaders...Bangladesh Court sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami leaders to death after being convicted of murder, arson, looting-- especially directly at the Hindu-minority-- during the 1971 conflict.<br /><br />Jamaat-e-Islami members admit to opposing the creation of Bangladesh, but they that they did not indulge in violence against anyone.<br /><br />Here is how the Jamaat-e-Islami are protesting the "trumped-up charges" of war-crimes against the Hindu-minority and the "false convictions" of murder, arson and looting:<br /><br />http://alturl.com/hpq3h<br /><br />Our Jamaat-e-Islami should learn from their Bangladeshi counterparts on how to maintain credibility in the eyes of the world.Hopewinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07885301987622998733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-46789384287597209202013-01-17T22:21:30.651-08:002013-01-17T22:21:30.651-08:00Here's Bloomberg on informal savings and inves...Here's <a href="http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-17/in-pakistan-savings-circles-beat-banks" rel="nofollow">Bloomberg</a> on informal savings and investment in Pakistan:<br /><br /><i><br /><br />Ali has been selling wall clocks and wristwatches in a crowded Karachi market for 15 years. He’s been participating in savings circles with fellow shopkeepers for just as long, and has used the proceeds to buy a car and acquire a new store.<br /><br />Now he’s a few months away from getting 400,000 rupees ($4,100) from a savings group of 16 shopkeepers into which he’s been paying 1,000 rupees a day for almost a year. He plans to put a down payment on an apartment. “This system is flawless,” says Ali, 35, who goes by one name. “You can never save this way without this binding commitment of making payments every day or every month. At banks there are hassles and procedures that waste time. This is simple. The organizer comes to collect the money himself, and because of the trust element, it’s a given that we’ll get the money.”<br /><br />Millions of Pakistanis save billions of rupees in informal, interest-free savings circles called ballot committees—popularly known as BCs—run by housewives, students, office workers, shopkeepers, even high-society ladies. Each member of a group of trusted friends or relatives contributes the same sum daily or monthly to a pool for a predetermined length of time, usually one year. Through a ballot, each participant is allotted a number indicating his or her turn. Every month, one participant gets the pool total. Everyone on the committee keeps contributing until each member gets a pot of cash.<br /><br />---<br /><br />No one knows the origins of savings circles, but they’re found in Africa and Latin America as well as Asia. “This system has existed in South Asia as long as I’ve known, and it was started by low-income women who were financially insecure,” says Ashfaque Hasan Khan, dean at the business school of the National University of Sciences & Technology in Islamabad. “The purpose was to hedge against a problem or to pay for a son or daughter’s wedding.” In India a similar savings plan, called a chit fund, flourishes. The big difference is that India’s savings circles, after years of operating on their own, are now regulated by the government.<br /><br />No estimates exist of the total amount of the funds collected by the committees. In Karachi alone, the All Karachi Traders Alliance Association estimates 10 million rupees pour into ballot committees on a daily basis. “The size and volume of the circles is on the rise because inflationary pressures mean people need more cash now to do the same things,” says Dean Khan of National University. Inflation in Pakistan is close to 8 percent. While the official savings rate is 10.7 percent of gross domestic product, it is probably higher thanks to the committees.<br /><br />Another reason the ballot committees are flourishing is the low level of financial literacy in Pakistan and the reluctance of ordinary Pakistanis to take part in cumbersome banking procedures. “Coverage by bank branches is fairly limited, especially in rural areas,” says Sakib Sherani, chief executive officer at Macro Economic Insights, a research firm in Islamabad. “The ballot committees offer greater flexibility and avoid the hassle of traveling to a bank, keeping documentation, and paying service charges.”<br /><br />Only 14 percent of Pakistanis use a financial product from a formal financial institution, according to a 2009 World Bank report. That compares with 48 percent for India. But when informal financial networks such as the BCs are taken into account, 50.5 percent of Pakistanis have access to finance, according to the report. ....</i><br /><br />http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-17/in-pakistan-savings-circles-beat-banksRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-12992256628251161112013-01-03T16:46:31.301-08:002013-01-03T16:46:31.301-08:00HWJ: "Why is the West planning to decrease ai...HWJ: "Why is the West planning to decrease aid to India?"<br /><br />I can't think of a better answer than India blogger <a href="http://escapefromindia.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Cybergandhi</a> who says as follows:<br /><br />"Due to the fake ‘India Shining’ propaganda launched by Hindutva idiots, foreign donors are reluctant to help the poor people in this country. According to figures provided by Britain’s aid agency, the total aid to India, from all sources, is only $1.50 a head, compared with an average of $17 per head for low-income countries."<br /><br />http://escapefromindia.wordpress.com/<br /><br />Meanwhile Israel, a rich OECD country, gets more foreign aid per capita than any other country, and it does not say NO to it. <br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-25391589245699489482013-01-03T11:53:05.805-08:002013-01-03T11:53:05.805-08:00Western Aid to Bangladesh is projected to hold ste...Western Aid to Bangladesh is projected to hold steady over the next three years.<br /><br />Western Aid to India is projected to be cut, with a complete end in 2015.<br />http://alturl.com/yvnqg<br />http://alturl.com/kiycn<br />http://alturl.com/fadcs<br /><br />Western Aid to our country is projected to INCREASE.<br />http://alturl.com/5nu9n<br />http://alturl.com/4xg72<br />http://alturl.com/tov5w<br /><br />Huh?<br /><br />If, as you say, we have less hunger, higher graduation rates, better sanitation, more social mobility, and a larger middle-class than Bangladesh & India, then why are we projected to receive an INCREASE in aid? Why is the West not increasing aid to Bangladesh? Why is the West planning to decrease aid to India?<br /><br />Am I missing something? Please explain.Hopewinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07885301987622998733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-65775461482653930342013-01-01T11:22:40.760-08:002013-01-01T11:22:40.760-08:00Compare the literacy rate of females between Bangl...Compare the literacy rate of females between Bangladesh and Pakistan, then you get the real picture of how backward Pakistan is. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-47689219732967038802012-12-27T09:18:53.169-08:002012-12-27T09:18:53.169-08:00Here's a recent video about Pakistan:
Entitle...Here's a recent video about Pakistan:<br /><br />Entitled: "We will Survive!"<br />-----<br /><br />Dr. Haq, <br /><br />I am just curious about why a video in an article about how well we have done compared to Bangladesh is entitled, "We will SURVIVE!".<br /><br />Has Bangladesh collapsed? Is anyone saying that they are close to collapse? Is the survival or existence of Bangladesh in question or jeopardy? If not, then why are we publishing these "survival" videos about Pakistan?<br /><br />Please explain.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />Hopewinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07885301987622998733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-50602021410114275902012-12-18T10:16:14.233-08:002012-12-18T10:16:14.233-08:00^^RH:"...A few Bangladeshi nationalists....j...^^RH:"...A few Bangladeshi nationalists....join in as well."<br />----<br /><br />You mean like this?<br /><br />Dec 19, 2012: <br />http://alturl.com/a2u7sHopewinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07885301987622998733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-41305535382102456162012-12-18T09:21:08.980-08:002012-12-18T09:21:08.980-08:00Too see the transformational difference between Ba...Too see the transformational difference between Bangladesh and Pakistan, look at the Absolute Fixed Investments in Current USD that were made in the two countries from 1992-2011:<br /><br />http://www.tradingeconomics.com/bangladesh/gross-fixed-capital-formation-us-dollar-wb-data.html<br /><br />http://www.tradingeconomics.com/pakistan/gross-fixed-capital-formation-us-dollar-wb-data.html<br /><br />Do a comparison between these two graphs:<br /><br />1) In 1992, Bangladesh invested 5.5 Bilion$, while we invested 9.1 Billion$<br /><br />2) In 2000, Bangladesh invested 10.75 Bilion$, while we invested 11.5 Billion$<br /><br />3) In 2008, Bangladesh invested 19.2 Bilion$, while we invested 33.5 Billion$<br /><br />4) In 2011, Bangladesh invested 27.5 Bilion$, while we invested 24.5 Billion$.<br /><br />In summary, Bangladesh's performance post 1992 has been spectacularly better than that of Pakistan in general. After 2008, especially, this difference has been greatly magnified to the point that Pakistan is rapidly being bypassed in almost all parameters except Defence Spending.<br /><br />These are the verifiable facts.Hopewinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07885301987622998733noreply@blogger.com