Completion Of 50 Years Of Independence Of Bangladesh On 21st December, 2021 - How Divorce From Pakistan Made Bangladesh The Better Half

 Completion Of 50 Years Of  Independence Of Bangladesh On 21st December, 2021

On December 16, 1971, Pakistan surrendered, giving independent India its greatest military victory and creating the new nation of Bangladesh. Fifty years on, looks back at the decisive battles and heroic feats that shaped the war, the lessons learned from it, how India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have fared since then and what the future holds for the three.

How Divorce From Pakistan Made Bangladesh The Better Half

At the height of the Cold War, On December 16, 1971, the Pakistani army surrendered in Dhaka, removing all roadblocks for the creation of Bangladesh - the world's eighth-largest country in terms of population. Since its separation from Pakistan, which itself is the fifth most populated country, Bangladesh has progressed quite rapidly on nearly all development indicators

1. 23 Higher GDP -> In 1971, Pakistan was an $11-billion economy while Bangladesh was a $9-billion economy. Pakistan continued to be larger than Bangladesh for many years, but in 2020 Bangladesh was a $324-billion economy while Pakistan was at $264 billion.

2. Faster Growth -> Because of significant dependence on the primary sector the GDPs of both Bangladesh and Pakistan had fluctuating growth rates. Since the 2000s, Bangladesh has been growing steadily while Pakistan remains a laggard.

3. Wealthier Citizens -> With a higher GDP and smaller population Bangladesh has a much higher GDP per capita .compared with Pakistan. Its GDP per capita of $1,969 in 2020 is nearly double Pakistan's $1,194.

4. World's Next factory -> Barring a slump during the pandemic, the share of exports in Bangladesh's GDP has grown rapidly since the 2000s. Pakistan, however, is witnessing a steady decliene.

5. Still A Big Importer -> Both countries have nearly similar import dependence.

6. Urbanising Fast -> In 1971, West Pakistan was more urbanised and industrialised than East Pakistan, which was a major source of raw materials. In 2020, Bangladesh was slightly more urbanised than Pakistan.

7.Stable Population -> At the time of liberation, Bangladesh's total fertility rate (births per woman) was 6.9 to Pakistan's 6.6. Since the 1980s it has gone through a dramatic and globally acclaimed reduction in TFR. In 2019, its TFR of 2 was below replacement level while Pakistan's was 3.5.

8. Fewer babies Die -> Pakistan and Bangladesh had similar infant mortality rates in 1971 - 140 for Pakistan and 148 for Bangladesh. In 2019, Bangladesh's IMR was 26 - much lower than Pakistan's IMR of 56.

9. People Live Longer -> In 1971, an average Bangladeshi lived to 47 years, compared with 53 years for an average Pakistani. In 2019, Bangladeshi's life expectancy of 73 years is 6 years more than Pakistan's 67 years.

10. A Literate Nation -> Improvements in Bangladesh's social indicators happened with the improvement in literacy rate. In 1981 the adult literacy figures were 25.7% for Pakistan and 29.2% for Bangladesh. In 2019, corresponding figures are 58% and 74.7%.