APROPOS the article ‘Why Bangladesh overtook Pakistan’ by Pervez Hoodbhoy (Feb 9). It is indeed very courageous of the writer to say the thing he has said so candidly.

Bangladesh’s export market mostly comprises garments. The country’s ready-made garments industry exported a whopping $27billion worth in 2017 even though Bangladesh grows no cotton at all!

Dhaka’s policies have made the country the world’s second largest exporter of textiles after China because of its high quality and impeccable delivery schedule. In Pakistan, the priorities of our pampered textile industry are refunds and subsidies while their products are of a low quality and low standard and thus face are not competitive in international markets.

The Bangladesh government has intelligently and firmly handled religious segments in controlling their population growth rate while our clergy exert extraordinary influence over policy-making in Pakistan. And then we wring our hands and wonder, where we went wrong.

Ahmad Tasnim
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2019