During the 1947-71 period, East Bengal/East Pakistan as an internal colony was made a helpless victim of exploitation, deprivation, unlimited discrimination and plunder by the rulers of Pakistan, as a result of which the per capita GDP of the people of Bangladesh in 1971 was 60 percent less than that of West Pakistan. But in 2015, Bangladesh surpassed Pakistan in terms of per capita GDP. In 2023 Bangladesh and Pakistan may see a comparable picture.
1) In terms of per capita GDP, Bangladesh has surpassed Pakistan by 80 percent. Bangladesh’s per capita GDP in 2021-22 is $2793 and Pakistan’s is $1547. 2) Bangladesh’s export earnings are more than double that of Pakistan’s, exceeding $52 billion in FY 2021-22. 3) Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves reached $48 billion in August 2021, declining over the past 17 months to $24 billion in January 2023 as per IMF calculations, more than eight times Pakistan’s. (According to the Bangladesh government’s account, the reserve of Bangladesh is 32 billion dollars). 4) The average life expectancy of the people of Bangladesh is 73 years, 66 years in Pakistan. 5) The literacy rate of the people of Bangladesh is 76 percent, while that of Pakistan is 59 percent. 6) The total GDP of Bangladesh is 465 billion dollars, and that of Pakistan is 346 billion dollars. 7) Population growth rate of Bangladesh is 1.2 percent and Pakistan is 2.1 percent. As a result, the population of Pakistan has increased to 22.5 million, and the population of Bangladesh is 16.98 million. 8) 1 dollar is available for maximum 107 taka in Bangladesh, 277 rupees to buy 1 dollar in Pakistan. But till 2007 the foreign exchange value of rupee was 8 percent higher than taka. 9) Bangladesh’s total foreign debt is 20.48 percent of GDP, while in Pakistan it is
46 percent of GDP. 10) 36 percent of women in Bangladesh work outside the home yard, compared to only 14 percent in Pakistan. 11) In Bangladesh the infant mortality rate is 21 per thousand, and in Pakistan it is 59. 12) 100% population of Bangladesh is covered by electricity facility, while 73% population of Pakistan is getting electricity.
The above data shows that Pakistan will never catch up with Bangladesh in the race of economic development. The GDP growth rate of Bangladesh increased gradually to 8.13 percent in the fiscal year 2018-19. In 2020-22, the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war slowed down the growth rate of Bangladesh, but it was much higher than that of Pakistan and the growth rate is estimated to exceed 6.5 percent again in the fiscal year 2022-23. Development thinkers are optimistic that the economy of Bangladesh, a low-middle-income country, will rise to the upper-middle-income category very quickly if harmful activities like corruption, looting and money laundering are strictly controlled. But for this, the root problems like corruption, looting and money laundering need to be tackled properly.
Re: point #7, the population of Pak is actually 243 millions, and that of Bangladesh 170 millions.
Pakistan treated them very harshly in their war for independence. Just one reason why they were eager to scrap Sharia law. They practice one of the softer brands of Islam in the world now.