Today’s Americans are much better informed about Bangladesh than when Henry Kissinger described it (not without reason) as a “basket” in 1971, the year he gained independence. That label clung to Bangladesh like a malignant stain, and proud Bangladeshis have been angry for decades over the shadow it has cast on their resilient and entrepreneurial ground.
Friday marks the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence from the former East Pakistan. On March 26, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the popular secessionist leader of the Bengalis, declared independence from Punjabi-dominated Pakistan, of which he was an incongruous party. (A country with two wings – west and east – Pakistan was separated by 1,300 miles from India.) After the declaration of independence, a brutal civil war ensued. The number of Bengali civilians killed is a matter of dispute: the Central Intelligence Agency estimates 200,000, while Bangladeshis say three million have been killed. In fact, Bangladesh was not liberated from Pakistan until December 16, 1971, when the Pakistani army surrendered. However, by choosing March 26 as Independence Day, Bangladeshis made a very Bengali choice: to lift their spirits above their objective reality.
Bangladesh is a transformed country today. Twice decolonized – first from Britain, then from Pakistan – is a rare example of a constitutionally secular Muslim majority nation. Most Bangladeshis adhere to a relatively tolerant form of Islam, born of centuries of living with Hindus, and is one of the few Muslim countries to win the fight against radicalization. With the erosion of secularism in neighboring India, it is possible to claim that Bangladesh is the most secular country in South Asia.
The government of Sheikh Hasina, Rahman’s daughter, is committed to eliminating Muslim fundamentalism. However, his methods often come at the expense of democracy. Sheikh Hasina, in his third consecutive term as prime minister, is widely accused of rigging the last election in 2018. His actions were driven by hybrid and paranoia: neutral observers believe he would have won without to resort to fraud.
If the West is appalled that it has to suppress its criticism of an authoritarian leader because its regime limits Islamism, it should have no problem appreciating the many areas in which Bangladesh has made progress. In terms of human development, Bangladesh has not only surpassed Pakistan, but has effectively reached parity with India. In one example – the key in a poor and overcrowded country – the fertility rate in Bangladesh (2.04 births per woman) fell below that of India (2.22). Even under its own conditions, Bangladesh has made remarkable strides: its infant mortality rate is 25.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 148.2 at independence; life expectancy, 72.3 years today, was 46.6 in 1971.