Born in war, nation marks 50 years of independence

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Shafiqul Islam was studying business at Dhaka College in 1971 when a bloody and brutal war for independence ravaged Bangladesh. After undergoing guerrilla training in India, he returned to fight against Pakistani soldiers.

“It was a time of total destruction,” he said. “Our bridges and roads were destroyed, our women were raped, towns were under siege. Thousands of homes and shops were torched.”

Nine months after it began, the war culminated in the country’s independence.

Fifty years on, 67yearold Islam presides over Arrival Fashion Ltd., a newgeneration garment factory spread over 2.5 acres and surrounded by lush paddy fields on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka. The factory employs nearly 3,000 workers who make jeans for export to Europe and North America.

Islam’s story in many ways mirrors the rise of Bangladesh, home to 160 million people.

On the eve of a halfcentury of independence this week, Bangladesh has been hailed as a success story for a young nation born out of strife and turbulence. Although it has struggled with famine, poverty, military coups and political violence, it’s also been celebrated for what experts say is remarkable progress in uplifting the lives of its young population.

Millions have risen out of poverty as the country has unexpectedly become one of Asia’s fastestgrowing economies, thanks to sectors like its garment industry, which clothes millions around the world and rakes in more than $35 billion a year from exports.

The apparel industry employs 4 million people, of which women form the majority of its factory workers. A job at Islam’s factory helps Nasima Akhter, 28, and her two siblings earn about $411 a month sewing jeans, which supports her and her family.

When she was a teenager, her parents struggled to provide them with three meals a day.

Experts say the country has invested heavily in the lives of women and girls. Currently, 98% of children have finished primary school, with more girls in secondary than boys. Life expectancy in Bangladesh is 72 years against Pakistan’s 67 years, and it has also surpassed wealthier India on combating child malnutrition and reproductive health, according to World Bank data.