Bangladesh Is Not Poor, but a Country of Mismanagement, Says Sharmeen Murshid

Bangladesh is not a poor nation but one plagued by mismanagement, according to Sharmeen S. Murshid, Adviser to the Ministry of Social Welfare and Children’s Affairs. Speaking at a conference titled “PFAS Pollution and Public Health in Bangladesh,” organized by Waterkeepers Bangladesh at a Gulshan hotel on Saturday, Murshid declared, “This is a country where emptying the state treasury is not even called corruption, yet corruption at the state level is tantamount to treason.”

 

Murshid emphasized the need for political reform, urging political parties to embrace change and warning against complacency. “If they think they can continue as they have, they are mistaken. Thirty thousand people have been maimed, and 1,500 young lives lost. This cannot be erased,” she said, referencing the human cost of recent unrest. She called for a fair election to restore politics and democracy, stressing that parties must adapt to avoid repeating past mistakes.

 

Highlighting environmental concerns, Murshid advocated for a coordinated policy to address PFAS pollution, urging stakeholders to take proactive steps. The event also featured Ganosamhati Andolan’s chief coordinator, Zonaed Saki, who underscored the growing importance of labor and environmental issues, stating, “These are becoming critical factors, tied to the very survival of humanity.”

 

The conference was chaired by Mujibur Rahman Howladar, former chairman of the National River Conservation Commission, and brought together experts to discuss pressing environmental and public health challenges in Bangladesh.

 

Murshid’s remarks reflect a broader call for systemic change, pointing to mismanagement as a root cause of the nation’s challenges and urging collective action to build a more accountable and sustainable future.