A case for declaring Probashi Dibash in Mujib Year
In 1970, there were approximately 40,000 Bangladeshi expatriates living in Britain. There was no significant Bangladeshi diaspora in any other part of the world. Yet this small number of people played a vital role in our war of independence in 1971. While many Bangladeshis crossed borders to take up arms, the expatriates were instrumental in creating international awareness of the barbarous crimes and atrocities committed by Pakistani occupying forces and raising much-needed financial resources for the freedom fighters.
Many expatriates simply handed in their unopened pay packets to the Bangladesh fund week after week (I learned of this from Justice Imman Ali, who, as a teenager at the time, was participating in collecting funds). They remain the unsung heroes of Bangladesh. Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, in his book Probashe Muktijuddher Dinguli, said that soon after independence, on behalf of the expatriates, a sum of 378,871 pounds was sent to the finance ministry which formed the first foreign currency of the government of Bangladesh.
Fast forward to 2020, it is estimated that there are 12 million Bangladeshi expatriates living and working in 140 countries. The ever-increasing remittances sent by the expatriates have been vital in elevating Bangladesh's position to one of the fastest growing economies in the world today. The yearly remittances have passed the USD 20 billion mark. If in 1972 Bangladesh's foreign currency reserve stood at 378,000 pounds, thanks to the expatriates, then that figure now stands at a staggering USD 45 billion, again largely due to the efforts of expatriate men and women.
So dedicating a day to the expatriates by declaring it as the Probashi Dibash (Expatriate Day) would not only be a huge morale booster for the Bangladeshi diaspora worldwide, thereby increasing the remittance inflow, but it would also open an avenue for Bangladesh to tap into its enormous human resources abroad that have hitherto been unexplored. Such resources are likely to be just as significant in value as the remittances.
Many countries have recognised the benefit of devising a way of having a consistently close link with their expatriates not only to enhance remittances, but also to take advantage of their expertise gained through education, training and work in advanced economies. Taiwan has been well-known for inviting academics of Taiwanese heritage from top American universities to spend regular sojourns in Taiwan sharing their knowledge and experiences with local universities, with tremendous success. Vietnam, the Philippines and Turkey have similar programmes. Economists world over agree that the Chinese emergence as an economic giant was possible because of its success in attracting billions of dollars of investment from Chinese-Americans in 1980s.
The case of India requires a special mention. In 2001, the Indian government set up a high-level committee on Indian diaspora with a view to increasing connectivity for mutual benefit. In accordance with the recommendation of the committee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then prime minister, announced January 9 as the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Indian Expatriate Day). The date was chosen to mark its most famous son and expatriate Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa to India in 1915.
Since 2003, the day has been marked with a three-day event inaugurated by the prime minister of the day or the head of state of a country with a large Indian diaspora, usually attended by around 2,000 Indian expatriate delegates. The event provides a cordial and apolitical environment where expatriates exchange ideas with Indian policymakers, business community and others regarding how their skills and expertise could be utilised to benefit India. There is also clear evidence that these events have contributed to an increase in remittance flow to the country. The highlight of the event is the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award given to the expatriates for outstanding achievements in various fields.
It is regrettable that Bangladesh is yet to recognise its worldwide diaspora as anything beyond row remittance earners. Undoubtedly, the declaration of a Probashi Dibash would be a significant step in the right direction.
Let us look at the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK. It makes for an amazing story. Thousands of miles away from their roots, Bangladeshis sit in British parliament. They sit in judgement in British courts, work as important government scientists and diplomats. There are thousands of them teaching a wide range of subjects in British schools, technical institutes and universities. They work as doctors and surgeons in hundreds of British hospitals. Similar successes are emulated in the USA, Canada and other countries by Bangladeshis. Establishing a close connection with them would benefit Bangladesh enormously.
Unlike China and India, Bangladesh has not succeeded in enticing its expatriates into large-scale investment in the country. Piecemeal attempts over the years have failed due to lacklustre efforts and negative experiences of many investors. A forum that allows expatriate investors to have a dialogue with the country's policymakers and business community would significantly alter that situation.
In many countries, Bangladeshi diaspora consists of second, third and fourth generations. Many are destined to be leaders in diverse fields in the countries where they are born and raised. The potential benefit for Bangladesh in entrenching in them their Bangladeshi heritage would be boundless.
If the argument for a Probashi Dibash seems overwhelming, then there is also a particular date for the commemoration of such a day, relating to which the argument is just as compelling. This leads me to a story of a love affair without equal!
On January 8, 1972, as the dawn broke, a plane landed in London. A dignified looking man disembarked. This man was none other than Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the newly independent Bangladesh.
It is no coincidence that after being freed from Pakistani prison, Bangabandhu had no hesitation in choosing London as his first destination before returning home. According to Zafar Chowdhury, who piloted the plane, upon arriving at Heathrow, Bangabandhu's first request was to contact a number of his "friends", who were restaurant owners. When a British Foreign Office representative informed him that an arrangement had been made for his accommodation at the Claridge's hotel, he thanked the official but suggested staying at a modest hotel in Russell Square "where it would be easier for our people to see me". The official politely informed Bangabandhu that a head of state's security can only be provided at Claridge's but assured him that arrangements would be made for people to meet him there subject to security measures. Dr Kamal Hossain, who was also released from Pakistani jail with Bangabandhu, revealed that he was fully aware that "London had been an active centre from which support for the liberation war had been pursued."
That the father of the nation was a visionary leader is an unequivocal truth. He understood the sacrifices that the expatriates had made, and foresaw that one day they would play a pivotal role in shaping the country into Shonar Bangla. He granted dual citizenship status to expatriates at a time when only a handful of countries allowed such a status to their expatriates. The expatriates also reciprocated Bangabandhu's love for them by hiring a British lawyer to defend him when Ayub Khan tried to eliminate him by instituting the infamous Agartala conspiracy case, by taking to heart his March 7 speech, and playing a heroic role in freeing the country and continuing in that vein as remittance fighters.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the Mujib Year celebrations, the spirit of the occasion remains ablaze. It would be remiss of the government if it fails to see the dynamism in declaring January 8 as the Probashi Dibash in Mujib Year. Bangabandhu would have loved nothing more than this.
Najrul Khasru is a British-Bangladeshi barrister and a part-time tribunal judge in England.