Let us highlight the positive elements. The aftermath of the disastrous floods of 198 was a heroic recovery in the agricultural sector and it has been sustained to the point where self-sufficiency in rice could be within sight. The growth rate in population is falling. You have a rich but untapped market for artwork. Your coast in the Bay of Bengal and its marine wealth is waiting to be discovered.
Image building is today a very essential element in attracting investment.
But it is a job for international professionals and not national bureaucrats or politicians. As I am speaking in Chittagong, I cannot fail to mention the significant role that this city has played for centuries in the economic development of this region. You have a great and valuable asset in the port of Chittagong. More recently the gas reserves are a further potential that might transform this region into a bustling hub for industry. However, the general image that is projected about the port is that it is a bottleneck, a constraint to exporters, an impediment to foreign investment.