DHAKA, Bangladesh — Annette Dixon, World Bank Vice President for the South Asian region, stated in a recent report that “Bangladesh is recognized globally for making remarkable progress in reducing poverty and advancing human development.” She added that the rest of the global South can benefit from following the country’s growth model.
The World Bank is Bangladesh’s largest development partner, committing a cumulative 19 billion dollars in interest-free International Development Association, or IDA, funds to improve primary education, child nutrition and natural disaster response systems. The country’s second largest international ally in reducing poverty is the Asian Development Bank, contributing over 15 billion dollars to energy, sanitation, agriculture, education and other programs.
Bangladesh is one of the few developing countries on target for achieving or even surpassing most of the Millennium Development Goals. Absolute poverty has been halved since the turn of the century. Gender equality has been achieved in primary and secondary school enrollment. The fertility rate has fallen from 3.4 to 2.3. Life expectancy has risen from 59 to 69 years.
A largely homogenous society, Bangladesh has managed to achieve surprisingly inclusive growth, with the benefits of a stronger economy reaching all levels of society. The median wage has increased for the bottom 40 percent of the population, contributing to a slight reversal of income inequality. These changes have been achieved in the absence of dramatic economic growth (a steady six percent) and below-average government expenditures on education and health.
So how, given its steady but unremarkable growth rates and a hands-off government, has Bangladesh managed such incredible social development in such a short time?
The answer lies in a thriving civil society.
As the birthplace of the now renowned Grameen Bank, one of the earliest pioneers of microcredit, the country is no stranger to finding independent solutions to social problems. Bangladesh currently has more NGO-produced private schools than it does public schools continuing the trend of NGOs filling the void left by a government that’s still compromised by weak leadership and misappropriation of funds.
Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, or BRAC, is one of the few NGOs to take root in the developing world and go on to have a global reach. It now operates in 11 countries and has assisted over 135 million people with programs ranging from microcredit loans, to the world’s largest private education system, to agriculture extensions programs, to women and community empowerment. The reach of BRAC is phenomenal and it has been touted as one of the finest examples of anti-poverty innovation to occur in the developing world.
In the field of education specifically, there is no dearth of well-established advocacy networks. The Campaign for Popular Education, or CAMPE, is among the most active. CAMPE is a non-formal education movement comprised of over 1,300 NGOs, with the objective of increasing literacy and school attendance among low-income families.
The success of Bangladesh’s private organizations in bringing about positive change can be attributed to their impeccable transparency records. Groups like the Grameen Bank and BRAC have fostered reputations for being highly accountable in their allocations of funds. This has encouraged investors to fund their programs. It has made an entire generation of Bangladeshis excited about joining the fight against poverty.
The government has also been inspired by these accomplishments. It has responded with its own efforts, including the Technical and Vocational Education and Training, or TVET, program. TVET is an initiative funded by the European Union, with the goal of improving the labor force to make Bangladesh more competitive globally, thus mitigating poverty.
The case of Bangladesh shows us what can be accomplished with a strong and active civil sector. Its trajectory since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971 has been touted by development experts as a model for inclusive poverty alleviation across the world. With a human development record that exceeds expectations, Bangladesh proves that a high GDP is not required for poverty alleviation or social growth.
– Janie Ryan
Sources: Asia Foundation, BRAC, Business Standard, United Nations Development Program, World Bank
Photo: Flickr