Happiest Bangladeshis


 
BANGLADESH is internationally renowned for negatives like its corruption, natural disasters, poverty and underdevelopment. But there are also positives which discerning eyes cannot fail to see. This paper recently carried a report based on research by a reputed academic of a world famous British institution that led to the sensational finding that Bangladesh—where poverty is endemic and where the preponderant number in the population suffers from the pangs of poverty—is, nevertheless, the abode of the happiest people on earth. This piece of news sharply conflicts with the worldwide prevalent notion that happiness is generally the outcome of high income and prosperity. Countries hundreds of times richer than Bangladesh trailed well below Bangladesh in the happiness assessment and disproved the popular idea that only material well-being buys happiness.

Analysing the reasons for Bangladesh scoring so well in the happiness search, the distinguished Professor of the London School of Economics noted the deep family bonds and values that bind the Bangladesh society. Indeed, humans are the happiest when they can give and receive love and care and the same is possible when family relations are not wearing down and remain quite strong. Looking critically at the West today or the well-off countries from the perspective of individual and national wealth, one may also discover the other side-- like the darker side of the moon--the wastelands of very unhappy individuals amid plenty. They have everything to provide them with material pleasure but their family relations remain devastated and their outlook represents little of substance. The high rate of divorce, rejection of marriage as an indispensable part of life and social behaviour, extreme individual selfishness, immorality in different forms, among others, are creating millions of restless people with no enduring values in the materially rich and developed countries. These people are incapable of feeling true happiness as one of the deepest longings in the subconscious human mind – since giving and taking of love and affection within the bounds of warm familial relations—remain unmet.

Then, there is also the other side of happiness which involves man's winning over challenges to earn his bread and well-being. The basic or decent minimum for everyone is assured in the rich countries through their welfare economic systems. Thus, the people there are forgetting how their forefathers toiled hard to win over adversities and became happy in the process. Man has been biologically designed by the Creator to work and overcome challenges to his existence to be able to feel happy. Practicing of the work-ethics lends him health, vigour and joy to his existence. But when humans do not have to work hard to take care of their basic needs or somewhat higher needs, understandably the same runs contrary to their real inner urge and robs them of happiness and makes bored and listless persons out of them.

However, the news that Bangladeshis are the happiest despite their poverty, is no excuse for them to go on being mired in poverty. For poverty is a scourge and a great barrier to human advancement in all respects. It can deprive people in the worst manner of education, nutrition, medicare and consumption. Poverty causes ill heath of humans and curbs their productivity. No nation can hold its head up high and be strong and powerful with a large number of its people in poverty. These are reasons enough to pull our poor people out of poverty on a sustainable basis. Our position in the worldwide listing of happiness is fine but that is no justification to romanticise our poverty or to perpetuate them.

Last edited on Mon Feb 6th, 2006 08:41 pm by *Phil*

Last edited on Tue Feb 7th, 2006 12:12 pm by *Phil*