While the impact of globalisation maybe hotly contested, with its proponents claiming extraordinary benefits for mankind and its opponents stressing disproportionate benefits for the rich, and marginalisation and disempowerment of the poor, for countries such as Bangladesh with low income, smaller capacities and even lesser bargaining turf, globalisation has thrown up a host of challenges with great rapidity. And yet we continually strive to integrate into a globalised world whilst balancing our national agenda of democracy, development and trade.

While speaking on Bangladesh, since coming here as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner I have come to realize, increasingly and sadly as time has gone by, that Bangladesh is often bypassed and when discussed or referred to in the South Asian context, the emphasis more often than not is on negative elements.

Overcoming certain misperceptions about my country and bringing it out of the ugly shadows generated by misinformation, sometimes seem in itself the biggest challenge to me. However, whatever we as a nation have achieved since our independence have come as part of our victories in our persistent struggle on numerous fronts in an increasingly globalized world.

As it traversed the oceans of fire and blood during its long struggle for national independence, across the barren desert of autocratic rule and overcoming the horrendous calamities wrought by nature’s wrath, Bangladesh has manifested, if nothing else, its indomitable spirit of defiance, its astonishing resilience and the thunder in its heart. And its people are the heroic embodiment of all of this and more. They are the ones who have not only defied the doomsayers but have successfully challenged the predictions of the pundits and have brought into question the glibly accepted postulates of happiness and success.

Bangladesh’s foremost achievement has been