Population of Bangladesh, Rohingyas and China

No doubt, the economy of Bangladesh is booming, at the same time Bangladesh is a very small country. So, it is obvious reality that at a stage number of population will be overloaded for the country- if not be cautious immediately.

by Swadesh Roy- Feb 28, 2018

( February 27, 2018, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) Bangladesh and Myanmar are discussing bilaterally to solve the Rohingya problem. If anyone goes through the paper works of the series of the meeting of two countries, they will get one kind of progress for solving the issues. On the contrary, reality shows that the fate of the Rohingyas are gradually associating with Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is an over populated country; its present population is about one hundred seventy million. Within five years, the population of Bangladesh will be two hundred fifty million. Then at least one hundred million people of Bangladesh will be senior citizens. They will lose their hundred percent productivity. The government of Bangladesh has started many social security programs for the elderly generation in the meantime, though it is not sufficient. They have to provide more and the cost will be huge. Because within five years forty percent population of the country will go under government’s social security.

However, after five years when population will be two hundred fifty million, what scenario will come then is not clear yet. The present Finance Minister told me in an interview that Bangladesh will not face any problem at that time because the economy of Bangladesh will be bigger eventually. That economy can ensure more social securities for the senior citizens. The Finance Minister and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh are optimistic. Hence, both are relaxed about the population. She is so reluctant regarding the population that she in the meantime said about the Rohingya people, if she could run her country with one hundred seventy million people, she would be able to run the country to take extra one million Rohingyas but it was not possible for her to push them in front of death. Besides, she is preparing an island for the resident of the Rohingya people; the army personnel of Bangladesh have been already working on it.

No doubt, the economy of Bangladesh is booming, at the same time Bangladesh is a very small country. So, it is obvious reality that at a stage number of population will be over loaded for the country- if not be cautious immediately. In fact, the government of Bangladesh is not that much cautious about population control. Its population control department’s function is not up to the mark. Moreover, an alarming scenario is that the educated upper middle class is very much cautious about family planning. But the lower middle class and the poor class are not careful about this matter. On the other hand, a huge number of people believe that family planning does not go with their religion. So they never drive the life on family planning; at the same time a huge number of religious leaders always campaign against family planning from their religious point of view. That is why, due to frequent maintaining family planning or birth control middle class is becoming tiny minority in the society of Bangladesh which is alarming for the future. Because, middle class is the main strength of a society and a country and even its culture.

However, one million Rohingyas who are now in Bangladesh, they have come from very much backward situation. Last seventy years they did not get any modern facilities in Myanmar. They are the people who were totally out of the modern education. In Myanmar, their society was run by the religious leaders. On the other hand, in Bangladesh, in the name of the religion, many fundamentalist Islamic leaders are working in the Rohingya camp. Their faith is also against family planning. So, within five years one million Rohingya will turn into three or four millions. What situation will come then regarding Rohingya people in Bangladesh is not possible to predict earlier. It will be half of the population like the European countries such as Austria, Switzerland and others. Isn’t it possible to maintain that huge number of people as a camp people? On the other hand, why Bangladesh will give the entrance in the main stream in the country to the Rohingyas?

Bangladesh still is in the shuttle diplomacy to resolve the Rohingya problem. In spite of that, the scenario is clear to us, not the other world leaders, not the United Nation, only China can help Bangladesh to resolve the problem; at the same time the picture came in front of us, China does not want Rohingya in their original village and mainly at the Sittwe port city in Myanmar for China’s own business interest. So, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China have to sit together on this issue and find out a safe and rehabilitation for these Rohingya people. And it has to be ensure that Rohingyas will not be the camp people again in Myanmar, they will be the citizen of Myanmar and will get a modern life. In this twenty first century man cannot live as a camp people and cannot lead a life without education and proper work according to merit. We know at present many state chiefs in the world and many politicians are talking against diversity of the society- even in the most civilized and democratic Europe also. Truly, it does not go with human civilization. Diverse of any society and state is the beauty of a civilization. There is no scope to ignore that.

Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor. The Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is a highest state award winning journalist and can be reached at swadeshroy@gmail.com