Despite much trumpeting of the “South Asian miracle” in Goebblesian style, Bangladesh is now a sinking ship. The question question now is not  whether or not but when.

Everyday there are innumerable stories of poverty, starvation and depravity coming from different parts of the country. High inflation, shrinking economy, depleting foreign reserves, utter lawlessness and raging profiteering are taking their tolls. According to Freedom House, Bangladesh now ranks 141 out 164 countries and is categorized as mostly unfree. Smart Bangladesh also ranks 99 out of 116 countries in the Prosperity Index and considered as unprosperous. 

Sheikh Hasina has already cautioned her subjects about a possible famine in April/May and is now frequently raising alarms about the Iran-Israel conflict. She is still claiming an economic miracle citing some mega projects and ballooning budgets while completely suppressing the utter distress and agonies of the vast majority of 180 million Bangladeshi people. According to many credible sources, almost 80% of Bangladeshis are at the losing end of Sheikh Hasina’s “economic miracle” because their purchasing power has dwindled during her long reign of 15 years. At present, more than 40% of households have to borrow and incur loans to maintain their daily livelihood; they cannot arrange their usual food intake and clothes. According to the World Food Program (WFP), 36% of the population are suffering from food insecurity. Let us also see some other achievements of Hasina in terms of where Bangladesh stands.

In education: 124 out of 137

In health services: 106 out of 167

In corruption: 7 out of 204

In happiness 118 out of 137

When was the relatively better period for Bangladesh? According to Freedom House, it was the year 2000. Bangladesh’s place was 116 out 164, the best in South and Central Asia. This is a very revealing fact about the mismanagement and authoritarianism of the regime for the last 15 years.