Cheap labour helped Bangladesh cross half a trillion dollars in FY26. The next half trillion will have to come from better-paid, more productive workers and from firms able to pay them. That transition has to begin while the window is still open.
The compact’s energy architecture amplifies rather than mitigates geopolitical shock exposure. A rational energy-security doctrine would diversify suppliers, transit routes, and contract structures; this agreement funnels us toward a single, unbuilt source over which we possess zero strategic control.
Bangladesh has all the ingredients for success -- a dynamic private sector, a young and hardworking population, and a strategic geographic position connecting major markets. Its achievements over the past decades demonstrate what is possible when determination and policy alignment come together.
Keeping India and Pakistan as the main mirrors will always make Bangladesh look respectable. but adding Vietnam to the frame as a benchmark is more meaningful.
