Sir, – With a population of 170 million people in a country one-and-a-half times the size of Ireland, cool heads and a clear plan are quickly needed to fill the vacuum and ensure the continued stability and prosperity of Bangladesh, one of the worlds most populated countries.
Recovering from a terrible war of independence in 1971, the country gradually lifted its people out of poverty and achieved the World Bank lower middle income status in 2015. It is scheduled to graduate to become a middle income country in 2026.
This is an incredible achievement for a country that was mired in extreme poverty in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. These development gains cannot be lost.
Having lived and worked in Dhaka in 1991-1995, I witnessed how Bangladeshis have always been an incredibly resilient and hopeful people.
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They now need patience under an interim government to deliver free and fair elections. – Yours, etc,
PAUL O’BRIEN,
Chief executive officer,
Plan International Ireland,
Dublin 8.