Non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) surely have a point when they complain that investment opportunities for them back at home are inadequate. They raised the issue once again at the concluding ceremony of the "World Conference Series 2014: NRB Talent, Investment and Remittance for Development". The conference was organised by the Centre for Non-Resident Bangladeshis at a city hotel last Saturday. Compared with another such get-together held a few years ago, this was low-keyed but this does in no way take away the importance of the theme that has been left unattended for far too long. The title of the conference has emphasised both talent and remittance at the disposal of the NRBs. If remittance receipts contribute about one-third of the country's total foreign exchange earnings, its productive use is all the more desirable. The level of remittance the expatriates send is measurable but talent cannot be measured in such absolute terms. Yet there is no dearth of talents. But still something is surely missing from the recipe so that talent and remittance are not brought together for effective investment in the country.
Sure enough, expatriates have done well abroad and there is no question about their ability to contribute to the country's all-round development. A leading geneticist in the world, Dr Maqsudul Alam has not only done pioneering work in his area of interests but also came back to Bangladesh to do the genome sequencing of jute. His ground-breaking research should have catapulted the crop out of its moribund state but unfortunately implementation of the good work in the practical field has eluded the nation. When it comes to policy support and practical application, there is always many a slip between the cup and the lip. There is a need to realise that political expediency alone does not serve the interests of the country. If the pioneering work by Maqsudul Alam could be fruitfully employed for reviving the future of the once golden fibre, it could prove to be a turning point for collaboration between other outstanding creative geniuses living abroad and the country's public or private sector.
Here what counts most is political will. Speakers at the conference have cited lack of trust on the part of NRBs in the country's ability to welcome their investment. First, they are sceptical of the law and order situation in the country. Second, they also have mistrust about the service delivery at various points. What they omitted though is the lack of infrastructure such as assurance of regular power supply. Maybe, they have in mind to take care of such issues once the fundamental principles have been settled. The fact is that the expatriates want to be assured that once invested, their money does not go down the drain. The golden rule is to give preference to people who feel their roots lie here in this land. The NRBs, who have made fortunes abroad but are keen to invest in their country of origin, should be given heroes' reception. Their knowledge and experience also count as investment.
