NRB sermons
A well-publicised conference of non-resident Bangladeshis (fancifully called NRBs) was held in Dhaka last month with the expressed view of projecting the potentials of the NRBs in 'alleviating' the miseries of the lesser mortals who live in this country. In fact, almost every year, such conferences are organised in Dhaka for NRBs in different formats. These routine meetings (or get-togethers) give the NRBs an opportunity to make holiday trips to this country in winter using tickets from conference organisers in the name of visiting Bangladesh for participating in an international (?) conference. Such visits also help them to enrich their curriculum vitae as well as meet their relatives/friends, and buy or sell properties here. Lesser mortals or 'resident Bangladeshis' do not need to object to all these until we hear the NRBs lecturing us in condescending tones on how we “should” live our lives. It is surely welcome if the NRBs come here with capital to invest in employment generating enterprises (like the United Airways), but, certainly, we do not need any advice on floods or mass transit or urban congestion etc. NRBs please note that in Bangladesh we have a large supply of resource persons who have more experience in development works than most of you. One NRB, participating in the recent conference, even had the temerity to demand that the expatriate Bangladeshis holding foreign passports be allowed to head some of the development organisations and corporations of Bangladesh as if the executives and academics of Bangladesh are all nincompoops! It is unfortunate that the media did not see through the charade of the so-called NRB 'guest birds', who I presume have by now returned to their cozy homes gloating over a make-believe contentment that he/she has their bit for their motherland, which they had voluntarily left!
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments