‘Development interrelated with justice, freedom’
Lack of freedom and justice leads to credit discrimination, leaving poor people without adequate funds amid social instability.
The government should ensure freedom and justice by offering good governance, rule of law, and institutionalisation for sustainable development, speakers said at an event.
They were speaking at the inauguration of Annual BIDS Conference on Development, organised by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies at a Dhaka hotel yesterday.
"Development is interrelated with justice and freedom. If you want development, you need to ensure freedom and justice, as their absence hinders development," said SR Osmani, a professor of development economics at University of Ulster, UK.
Lack of freedom and justice leads to credit discrimination, leaving poor people without adequate funds amid social instability, he said in his keynote speech, adding that the private sector holds back their investment in this situation, which ultimately deters development.
"If freedom and justice are ensured, then private sector will make the development. Sadly, most governments do the opposite," he added.
Planning Minister MA Mannan, however, said some countries have developed significantly despite having autocratic governments.
"Some people say if a government continues in power, then it may become autocratic, and autocracy is deterring to the development," he said while talking as chief guest.
"Is it really true? Then how did Malaysia and Singapore develop?"
"Some economists are saying that China's economy will not be able to continue its high growth. Is it going that way?"
"In Bangladesh, our government is trying to ensure that the people are fed and have a good life. Yes, we have more to do as there is some inequality. But life is product, while freedom and justice are by-products, not basic things," Mannan said.
The minister also said democracy, voting right, governance issues are not being discussed by mass people in the rural areas, but by those in the urban areas, including civil society and elites.
"Mass people's priorities are tube-well, toilet, culvert, road, electricity, housing, better doctors and medicine in community clinics," he added.
BIDS director general Binayak Sen said "We have to return to the ideas of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who wrote in his travelogue about how China eradicated poverty and ensured basic necessities."
"There would be no trade-off between development and democracy if we follow the footsteps of Bangabandhu," he added.
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