Our image

There's no denying that ours is a poor country, crippled by poverty and social problems. There's no denying that our obligations towards repaying debts to the World Bank and the IMF put pressure on our ability to invest in our own productivity and development.

I, however, cannot say that seeing our prime minister, or any other representative of our people, asking for the cancellation of our nation's debt to the international bodies and other nations does much good for my pride as a Bangladeshi. To see Mr. Ali's piece end with the phrase "Let us not forget, the crying baby gets the milk" is downright painful. I imagine that abroad our nation is perceived as a beggar nation- not to be seen as a country to make reliable investments in, but a nation to give charity to in order to get penance for whatever guilt trip the developing world has placed on the conscience of the West.

For sure, our government is obliged to do whatever it takes to secure a better and brighter future for our poor. But we must be conscious of the damage that every single incident of us asking for the pardoning of debt or for aid does to our name as our nation. We must be conscious of the damage it does to our self-image as an independent people. If we allowed our government to take a loan from these international bodies and if our government promised to pay it back, let us see to it that we do indeed pay it back.