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Proposed ministry of NRB

17 July 2006, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Ahmed A Azad Melbourne, Australia
17 July 2006, 18:00 PM
I read Professor A. S. Islam's article in Point-Counterpoint, recently published in the DS, with great interest and appreciation. I endorse every word he says. Among Third World countries Bangladesh started off from a relatively high vantage point in terms of academic standards and scientifically trained manpower, and yet today we are termed scientifically lagging and are lumped with the least developed countries. Authorities in Bangladesh have neither fully realised the importance of tapping into the very rich gold mine of expatriate scientists and utilising them in sustainable development, especially in the area of molecular biosciences and biotechnology, nor have they seriously launched any programme to make Bangladesh internationally competitive in these fast developing areas of science and technology.

This is in sharp contrast to what has transpired in the rapidly developing countries such as India, China and Brazil.

The proposed Ministry of NRB affairs can certainly help in identifying and harnessing this great wealth for raising scientific proficiency in Bangladesh and in stemming the very damaging brain drain. This would need to be done in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology, academic institutions and the private sector in Bangladesh.

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From my own personal experience I can attest that this concept is anathema to certain people in power and to those who do not wish to be pushed out of their comfort zone.

The national emphasis is on training people for jobs overseas to generate foreign exchange through remittance inflow. In that context the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment is doing commendable work but that is no substitute for the proposed Ministry of Non-resident Bangladeshis suggested by Professor Ahmad Islam.

While the existing Ministry (http://probashi.gov.bd/) is serving semi-skilled people, the loss of trained scientific manpower is having a devastating effect on Bangladesh's much needed transition from being scientifically lagging to scientific proficiency. Many universities in Bangladesh are producing excellent science graduates for the job market in the West, where they serve as the R&D engine and help to create wealth for those countries, and yet their are no cogent policies to create conditions to retain our best brains here or induce them to return.

I hope that the people in power pay heed to Professor' Islam's very wise counsel in the establishment and modus operandi of the proposed Ministry of NRB. I also hope that they listen to his advice about letting this Ministry operate without political interference so that its future is not affected by regime change.