Self-reliance is managing one's life with the help of one's own knowledge or physical strength without the help of others. That is, self-reliant means dependent on oneself. Self-reliance in the narrow sense means achieving self-sufficiency in food production through increasing agricultural production. In a broad sense, self-reliant movement refers to the efforts to solve all economic, social and political problems, including food and population problems, through the efficient use of resources. Personal, social and state life is the key to the development of self-reliance everywhere. No people and no state in the world is self-sufficient. They intertwine with each other in need. So one country takes help from another country to meet its needs. This interdependence is mutual cooperation. But beyond that, there are many countries that can't help but rely on rich countries. They need a national loan for national development. For national development, education, industry, culture, etc. have to be developed and in the technical field, spare parts of machinery have to be imported. And it requires a lot of money. But where poor countries are unable to meet their basic needs, it is not possible for them to finance various development activities. So they take foreign loans on the pretext of various development activities. As a result, they have to reach out to other countries.
Beginning of the Self-Reliance Movement in Bangladesh: Two and a half centuries of British rule has done considerable damage to our economy. The Pakistani ruling clique has continued that exploitation for twenty-five long years. As a result, war-torn Bangladesh has progressed through various chaotic conditions. On the other hand, the population has increased rapidly, floods, droughts, tidal surges have caused a lot of crop loss. As a result, there has been a recession in the economy. So the country has to be dependent on foreign countries. As a result, Bangladesh has been described as a 'land of bottomless baskets'. In this context, the government became determined to tarnish the image of Bangladesh and started a self-reliant movement to make the country self-reliant through economic development. The 'Grow More Food' movement in the fifties, the Green Revolution in 1975-7, the 'Green Comilla' initiative in 1984. The next stage is to take various district based activities. The Swanirvar Bangladesh program was adopted in 1975. Encouraged by the idea that rural Bangladesh will be self-sufficient in food production, agriculture and other fields, the self-reliant movement started in every district and its sequence continues.
At present, the government has undertaken more comprehensive programs to achieve self-reliance. In particular, the government has a comprehensive plan to develop the country's economic system through increasing agricultural production. These include application of modern farming, use of fertilizers and improved seeds, development of irrigation system and ensuring maximum use of scientific technology in agriculture. The government has already taken effective steps in some of these areas.The country can never be big if the nation is not self-reliant or self-sufficient; He has to depend on food, clothing, medicine, equipment, etc. Again, if there is no self-confidence, even the army equipped with the latest weapons has to accept defeat, there are many examples of this in the modern age as well. Those who have unshakable confidence in their own strength, those who think that self-power is the real power, are happy and happy even after living an extraordinary life.
Importance of Self-Reliance Movement in Bangladesh: Although Bangladesh has established itself as an independent sovereign country in the world, it has not yet become economically self-sufficient. Economic dependence is not only an obstacle to independent development, it is a tragedy in terms of dignity. Unfortunately, our dependence is calling into question our dignity in the world as an independent nation. The bulk of our development budget comes from foreign aid. It can never be desirable for an independent nation. In Paris, our donor groups sit down and decide how much money they will beg and lend us. And we are waiting for him like a crow on a pilgrimage. In this context, in order to survive as an independent and prosperous nation, we must achieve self-reliance. But we still have mountain-like problems in achieving self-reliance. In a country of such a small size, the location of sixteen to seventeen crore people is nowhere else in the world. We seek help from abroad for many daily necessities including food, clothing, housing etc. Hundreds of crores of rupees are spent every year just to import food. How much more modern agricultural equipment, scientific equipment, technical equipment is to be brought. On the other hand, it is true that foreign loans are taken for national development but the question remains that some part of the loans taken is used for national development. Most of the time, due to corrupt management, most of the foreign loans are wasted without being used for the actual purpose, but the loan money remains as a national loan and has to be repaid on condition or it will increase.On top of that, the number of unemployed in Bangladesh is increasing day by day. No initiative, no workplace. With such a large number of unemployed youth, the country's self-reliance cannot be imagined. In order to achieve self-reliance, the unemployed youth must be employed first. Unemployment problem can never be solved in any country by government efforts alone. However, the government's policy efforts can solve the problem of unemployment. Private initiatives can play a huge role in this. Apart from that, in the identified areas such as: fish farming, poultry farming, farms, nurseries, vegetable farming, forestry, etc., if the unemployed take self-employment steps on their own initiative, the unemployed of our country can become self-reliant. However, since the economy of Bangladesh is dependent on agriculture and 40% of the national income comes from agriculture. Therefore, the improvement of agriculture is the way to strengthen the national economy.
In the case of self-reliance: Self-confidence and self-effort is the real key to making Bangladesh self-reliant. Our main problem is the shortage of food in proportion to the population. At present a large population is disoriented due to lack of food. There is constant wailing all over the country today - I want food, I want clothes, I want a place to shake my head. Given the limited resources of the country, this huge population has become a huge obstacle in the way of our development. As a result, the low per capita income and low standard of living of the people of Bangladesh, growing poverty, massive food shortages, mass unemployment, malnutrition and illiteracy, the whole nation is being plunged into darkness day by day.
Land, water and human resources are the three best resources of Bangladesh. The future socio-economic development and prosperity of Bangladesh depends on the best integrated use of these three resources. Bangladesh is an agricultural country. Sujla-Sufla, Shasya-Shyamla The fortunes of the entire country are involved with the agricultural products that are produced in the fields and deserts of this Bangladesh. Because about 80 percent of the farmers in Bangladesh. The economic base of this country is entirely dependent on agriculture.
In order to revive the economy of independent Bangladesh today, and to build a self-reliant Bangladesh, first of all we want a revolution in agriculture. And for this, first of all, we have to completely change the life and attitude of the great hero of agriculture, the farmer. If the farmer survives, agriculture will survive and if agriculture survives, our country will survive. In all the developed countries today, science has revolutionized the methods, materials and applications of agricultural work. The application of mechanical technology has made agriculture unimaginably productive. Therefore, in the development of the country and in the development of the fate of the farmers, we must essentially expand the technology in agriculture.there is no alternative to the importance and development of fisheries resources in the socio-economic context of Bangladesh. Padma-Jamuna-Meghna Bidhaut Bangladesh is rich in fish resources by nature and environment.
Just as there are many species of freshwater fish in the rivers, canals, haors, canals, beels, ponds and lakes of this country, there are also many lucrative fish including shrimp and tuna in the vast marine waters of the country. The fisheries sector will therefore play a vital role in the national economy, including meeting the non-vegetarian needs of the country's large population and earning foreign exchange, and is expected to do better in the days to come. Commenting on the issue, former President Justice Sahabuddin Ahmed said, "Fisheries are a promising sector in terms of animal meat supply, self-employment and earning foreign exchange." The contribution of this sector to the national economy is encouraging. It is possible to achieve the target of fish production through the application of modern technology in the water bodies of the country and also to export additional fish and fish products.In addition, in order to achieve self-reliance, illiteracy must be eradicated, education, health must be ensured, resources must be used properly, administrative corruption must be eradicated, violent politics and self-centered and barbaric politics must be stopped. Maintaining stability in the country requires rapid industrialization and creating a healthy-normal environment for foreign investors and making them interested.Bangladesh is rural dependent. There is a need to improve the living standards of rural people by invigorating the rural economy. Bangladesh needs to become self-reliant by providing assistance in various professions, through cooperative movement, bringing revolution in agriculture, educating the nation. In short, if one chooses the path of self-reliance while keeping one's self-confidence intact, the victory of humanity will come and the purpose of life will also be fruitful. There is an English proverb in this context: ‘God help those who help themselves.’ In fact, the real power lies in self-reliance. This is why it is said, ‘Self help is the best help.’ We must remember that people can never live on dependence. In this world of life-war, his defeat and humiliation are inevitable.