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Bangladesh ranks 138th in HDI
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
The Daily Star
Fri. July 16, 2004

Bangladesh ranked 138th among 177 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), moving one place up from last year's ranking.

The Human Development Report for 2004 launched in Dhaka and elsewhere in the world yesterday placed Bangladesh among the medium-developed countries in the HDI.

This year Bangladesh outranked neighbours Nepal (140) and Pakistan (142) and was on the heels of India (127).

The report, 'Cultural Liberty in Today's Diverse World', lauds Bangladesh as the third best performer among developing countries in reducing child mortality from 144 deaths a thousand in 1990 to 77 in 2000.

Reduction in income poverty was also referred to as a sector where Bangladesh was effective as the percentage of citizens living under the poverty line came down from 51 to 49.8 percent.

Bangladesh's life expectancy also jumped up to 61.1 years while GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) stood at US$1,700.

The UNDP, however, said the place was non-comparable to previous years as a number of new countries and new data augmented the criteria each year.

The level of key indicators such as life expectancy, school enrolment and literacy rates and a decent standard of living determine the HDI rank.

The report labels Bangladesh as a non-secular country, citing the government's formal alliance with Islam is exclusively benefiting the religion, which goes against constitutional emphasis on secularism.

It says Bangladesh fails to fit the bill for a secular state defined in the report as a country that "...accords equal respect to all religions (and to non-believers)."

The report also stresses that among the three dimensions for a non-discriminatory state to protect an important one is, "All religions have numerous interpretations and practices...and no single interpretation should be sponsored by the state."

Acting UNDP Resident Representative Larry Maramis presented the report in Dhaka while The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam gave the keynote address at a ceremony at Sonargaon Hotel.

The report argues that the freedom to choose one's identity and exercise that choice without discrimination is vital to people's lives and an essential element of human development.

Laramis said the report states that although the exact size of the problem is difficult to measure, its urgency at a time when cultural diversity is under pressure is in no doubt.

Cultural diversity can enrich societies but if managed poorly it can become one of the greatest sources of instability that may trigger conflict and push development backwards, he added.

Observing that 900 peoples in the world do not have their culture -- language, religion and social practice -- adequately recognised or respected, the report, Laramis said, encourages countries to pursue multicultural policies.

Bangladesh with more than 45 different ethnic groups is also considered a multicultural society, as the groups make up approximately two percent of the population.

The report also observes majority-rule-based democracies can ignore and silence minority groups' language and culture and have to be reformed through adopting policies that redress past wrongs against minorities through affirmative action, legal pluralism and inclusive language policies, such as bilingual education.

People in Bangladesh have to stop limiting the definition of minority to religious groups and give up the belief that the country is so homogenous that there is no diversity, Anam said in his keynote address.

Putting emphasis on recognising and respecting numerous indigenous groups, such as Chakmas and Santals, Anam also warned of losing out on cultural creativity and opulence by ignoring them.

He said a crisis stemmed from a tendency of narrowing down diversity globally and in South Asia because of dominant societies submerging minor cultures.

Referring to the declaration of 'Ecologically Critical Areas' and Biodiversity Action Plan, the report also pegs Bangladesh as a rare example of recognising community-based rights to biological resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Laramis said the mention of a cultural crisis in Bangladesh was multifaceted that also included a threat from the West and even Bollywood that threw sectors such as the Bangladeshi movies into dire straits.

Globally, this year's report also reveals that the exchange of cultural goods -- literature, cinema and music -- across borders amounts to around $500 billion a year.

The devastation caused by HIV/AIDS in income levels and life expectancy in sub-Saharan African countries also got primacy in the report.

Source: The Daily Star