Bangladesh a South Asian miracle, ToI says citing World Development Indicators

To paint a picture of how India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have fared so far on living standards of people, Times of India in an article says Bangladesh is a South Asian miracle.

The Indian media published the article titled India vs Pakistan vs Bangladesh, marking India’s Independence Day yesterday (Saturday), August 15.

ToI presented 14 World Development Indicators (WDIs) in the article to portray the picture of the living standards of people in these three South Asian countries having the same lineage.

According to the article, Bangladesh has outshone India and Pakistan in seven WDIs while India did it in six and Pakistan in the remaining one.

The WDIs in which Bangladesh has outranked India and Pakistan are Gross Savings, Infant Mortality Rate, Safe Childhood, Primary School Enrollment, Fertility Rate, Life Expectancy and Military Expenditure.

The WDIs in which India has outshone Bangladesh and Pakistan are GDP Per Capita, GDP, Ease of Doing Business, % Population Below Poverty Line, Literacy Rate and Access to Electricity.

The only WDI, out of the 14, in which Pakistan has done better than India and Bangladesh is Air Pollution.

Judging the countries by WDIs, TOI said in its article, “India towers over its neighbours on all economic and some socio-economic factors; it needs to do better on other key factors.”

As for Bangladesh, it said, “Despite its violent and late start in 1971, Bangladesh outshines others on health, education and other social factors; it’s a South Asian miracle”

And as regards Pakistan, the Indian media said, “Pakistan, which started the best socio-economic life, has slipped on all parameters. Unlike Bangladesh, it chose to spend too much on military and too little on social good.”

India and Pakistan turned 73 respectively on Saturday, August 15, and on Friday, August 14, while Bangladesh, the youngest South Asian country, turned 49 on 26 March of this year.