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Reaching New Heights
Debapriya Bhattacharya needs no introduction; almost everyone in this country has heard of him and many have been inspired and influenced by his ideas. ICE tries to find out all there is to know... By Syeda Shamin Mortada
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The renowned economist and civil society leader, Debapriya Bhattacharya was a student of St Gregory's High School (1972) and Dhaka College (1974). Talking about his childhood he says 'I was a restless child and used to wear glasses from early childhood that kept my parents fretting about me all the time. I was also a chubby little boy and used to be teased by my peers. One field which was never my cup of tea was sports!' Talking about his high school years, Debapriya says ‘I decided against entering Notre Dame College, as I wanted to do student politics. We were a committed and zealous lot, the first generation after independence who were dedicated to building a prosperous nation; we wished to eradicate the abysmal inequalities between the wealthy and the wretched; we wanted to ease the sufferings of those condemned to lives of squalor, poverty and oppression. How much we have been able to accomplish in this thirty-five years is a different issue.'
He continued his studies at the Plekhanov Institute of National Economy, Moscow, where he did his MSc and PhD in Economics. 'If not an economist, 1 would have been a lawyer, but as I wanted to participate and contribute to the uplift of billions, I thought learning to build an "alternative economy" was the best way to serve our subalterns'.
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After returning home in 1984 he got involved in the research and analysis of developmental issues at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). However, his activism took him to the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), which since then has emerged as a premier think-tank of South Asia. 'I have always tried to include perspectives of the poor in the policy-making process so that we can achieve prosperity and the well-being of all citizens', says Dr. Bhattacharya.
Academic pursuits have taken Debapriya Bhattacharya to many centres of academic excellence, including Oxford University, University of Strathclyde, University of Manchester, UN Institute of New Technology (Masstricht), Institute of Development Economics (Tokyo), Centre for Global Development (Washing DC) and to high level consultative bodies of the government. He is also an important figure known internationally for his work relating to development finance, trade, migration and environment. He has put his academic experience to good practical use in the policy-making process.
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Talking about his career and all his achievements and accomplishments, Debapriya observes, 'A person goes on gathering moss in various stages of life: childhood, the learner or student phase, and finally professional activities. My modalities of serving the marginalised may have changed through time, but the ethos has remained the same. My family environment has always been a source of inspiration to me; I have always taken a broad view about life, law, culture and politics. I owe a great deal to my father Late Justice Debesh Bhattachatya and my guru Professor Rehman Sobhan, both of whom installed in me the passion for work and a sense of purpose in life.' He adds, 'Intellectualism without a purpose is fruitless; you need to use your knowledge to make a difference in life.'
Sharing his thoughts on inequality and poverty with us, he notes, 'If we fail to provide the citizens of the country the minimum dignity, we fail the people who have sacrificed their lives to create this country. This is a country of untapped potential and unfulfilled promises. We launched our citizens' movement in 2006 for "clean and competent candidates", precisely to sensitize people to address this aspect. I just hope that our future political leaders do not disappointment us. For Bangladesh to grow as a nation the issues of socio-economic and human rights deprivation need to be kept under vigilance; failing to do so might jeopardize our development prospects and democratic ambitions. '
Reflecting on the present situation of the country, Debapriya says 'We hope that the current situation will not last much longer and soon there will be free, fair and credible elections. And we need to carry on implementing political and institutional reforms, corruption cleansing and other initiatives in tandem.'
When asked about his feelings about being appointed the ambassador and permanent representative of Bangladesh to the WTO and UN offices in Geneva; the focal point of multilateral diplomacy where two-thirds of UN activities takes place, the believer in 'equality' who has a 'steely will' to help humanity, answered, 'I was a bit surprised with the choice; it is undoubtedly a great responsibility. Now I won't have the luxury of criticizing from the fence, but will have the hard task of delivering policy options. In the coming months, I will have to focus on successful completion of the ongoing Doha trade negotiations at WTO. However, my broader objective will be to pursue more effective economic diplomacy so as to obtain quality foreign aid, better foreign investment, improved export of manpower and, definitely, better marketing access for our exports. And of course, I shall strive to fight attempts to stereotype the image of our country.'
Where will we see Debapriya after 10-15 years? 'Very much in Bangladesh, working with more zest and vigor. I have strong rural roots; I visit my home village in Tangail once a week even now; I hope to do it thrice a week at that point in time.'
Whilst parting he had something to say for the younger generation. 'Instead of criticizing and feeling depressed, I request you all to take things in your own hands. Have a professional attitude and a good social purpose. You can come and go in this world and nobody will notice you; do something worthwhile so that people can remember you. Get a good education and have strong core values. Bring knowledge, capital, and technology from abroad and use it in your own land; never abandon your motherland!'
Debapriya Bhattacharya passionately considers his work a life-time mission! His secret is not pity but passion! Pity only sees suffering and wishes to ease the anguish temporarily; passion sees the injustice and inequalities and decides to eradicate it. Pity pleads to the powerful for help; passion tells them that it's time to act. Pity is a fleeting emotion; but passion is a commitment to the future!
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