Delta policies, economics and politics
The delta regions in the world are fertile: low flat fertile lands, plenty of water; and natural fertiliser effect due to silt layers after periodic flooding. Farming and agriculture thrive; and the human fertility rate is also higher (higher density of population), providing plenty of human resources. How are we taking advantage of this natural situation?
The Bengal delta is one such region. It is noticed that some civic activist groups (in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India) oppose mega industrial development projects, as fertile agricultural land is taken over, and the people are displaced from their ancestral homes. The traditional, conservative minds of the displaced community are disturbed, and uncertainty prevails.
Therefore the question arises: what sort of awareness campaigns have to be mounted, so that industrial and mining development projects are made acceptable to the affected people. It is not a novel local situation; historians, politicians and economists have recorded such situations in various parts of the world through the centuries.
The awareness campaigns have to be undertaken in several sectors and levels: national, international, political, local. Such a coordination body is not visible in Dhaka today. The government plan some projects, and the negative reactions start piling up.
This is more so in Dhaka, as the parliament works in the absence of the opposition (the boycott syndrome); and the governance environment is corrupt. There are numerous NGO agencies in Bangladesh, and its campaigns and working modes certainly affect public opinion. Mega projects are delayed, regime to regime, for underhand bargaining [an open secret].
At present, the interim, non-political, non-elected caretaker regime in Dhaka is handicapped under various types of opposition campaigns to go ahead with vital and critical projects on emergency basis (like tackling the energy shortage).
It reveals that our top leadership in society [and in politics] are unable to tackle critical economic situations through pragmatic solutions [that is why we had to invent this caretaker govt. concept].
We go about beating around the bush, and cannot enter the beautiful forest (Sundarbans) full of riches underground! We have everything, except one vital tool: national consensus.
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