Readers Respond

Towhid Salam
Given the inflation for over 18 years, how does this increase in daily income translate as real progress? Anyone in Bangladesh can tell you that what you could purchase with $1 back in 1990 cannot be purchased with even $2 in 2008. So, are people really in a better position now? One wonders.
Matiur Rahman
The findings of the research should be weighed with a grain of salt as it lacks in causality analysis, said so by Mr Zohir. Maybe, remittances by expatriates played a role in it. The survey questionnaire should have asked the sampled households if they had any expatriate working overseas.
Study could lead to different results if borrowers from microcredit institutions and non-borrowers in the same economic circumstances were compared. Again, this project's source of funding might have some elements in its findings.
MBI Munshi
Improvement in the lives of one crore people could easily be due to increased remittance and employment in the RMG sector. Why is microcredit solely being credited for this economic uplift?
Sheikh Momnirul Islam Opee
Anyone who read the book 'Freakonomics' of Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt or even watched its reel version would understand how misinformed we all are. The book also allows you to explore alternative thinking or those missing connections. So, do not be just overwhelmed by these statistical findings often dominating our headlines in the dailies.
M Inamul Haque
This figure of earnings per day appears too low per capita against the figure of present per capita average income per day. Income per family and interest paid (or not paid) are not shown here. Microcredit interest rates remain too high compared to normal bank interest. I appreciate Dr Zahir's comment but it is only a quarter of the glass.
Dr Rahman
Thank you very much Microcredit Summit Campaign for opening our eyes. This is the first time Bangladesh displayed one of the great ways to eradicate poverty to the world. We feel proud and happy. Previously we were 'famous' as a flood affected, poor nation. Now we can feel proud of pioneering microcredit.
Smrity
I believe we are yet to address the most important point of caring for the life and livelihood of the field workers of microcredit.
I believe there is still enough scope to be caring towards the staffs deployed for the field operation of microcredit. Within the short time of their inception, many non-government organisations (NGOs) get nice offices at different places and costly vehicles for some chief officers.
And all those facilities would little contribute in the life of the field workers. And they are the people who shoulder the stress for operating or earning the big volume of profit for the organisation.
Ok, later is better than never. Lets start our mission to be a little bit kind to the field workers, for whom, owners enjoy much luxury, reputation, name and fame. Ultimately only morality, civility, honesty, simplicity and sincerity triumph.
Nasarullah
Microcredit has, to some extent, played some hidden roles to this effect but I would say that the large volume of job opportunities created under various sectors including garments, overseas employment opportunities, teaching institutions, real estate, agricultural outputs, food assistance by various donor agencies including UNWFP and various rural infrastructural development programmes played greater roles. Above all, some socially supported development programmes and motivational performances by NGO's created some positive impact.