Capitalist type of development behind inequality

Dhaka University Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury yesterday said the country's economic progress is a "capitalist type of development" which is behind inequality.

"We are seeing the 'visible images' of development, the reflections, and we are also being inspired by it. However, that development is a capitalist type of development which creates inequality, isolation, and destroys nature," he said.

He was speaking as the chief guest of the Bazlur Rahman Memorial Award 2024 ceremony, organised by the Liberation War Museum at its auditorium in the capital.

Prof Choudhury, one of the country's most revered intellectuals, said people had fought the Liberation War in 1971 to free themselves from oppression, achieve economic freedom, and end discrimination.

He stressed that the dream of liberation was a dream of social revolution "to establish collective and social ownership in place of individual ownership".

But while the country has seen economic development, the number of extreme poor has doubled in the last three years, he noted.

He pointed out that incidents of rape have also risen alarmingly, with the number in the first six months of this year almost equalling the total of last year.

These have happened when "the country has seen the fall of a fascist government and everyone is talking about a revolution", he said.

He also described the destruction and mass killings in today's world as "unparalleled."

"Never before has there been such an event, never before has there been so much progress, and never before has there been so much human suffering, so much human despair," he said.

Stressing the importance of journalism about the Liberation War, he said while the number of people killed is often cited, there are only a few writings on the sufferings and horrific experiences endured.

At the ceremony, this year's Bazlur Rahman Memorial Award was handed to Shahadat Parvez, photography editor of Desh Rupantor, in the print category, and Shafiqul Islam, head of news at Ekattor Television, in electronic media. Each received a crest and Tk 1,00,000 in prize money.

The programme was also addressed by Liberation War Museum Member Secretary and Trustee Mofidul Hoque and Trustee Sarwar Ali.