Bangladesh has faith in its own future

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33065, 4 November 1972, Page 6

Bangladesh has faith in its own future

Although the people of Bangladesh get impatient at times with the slow pace of progress, they have faith in the future of their nation, says Miss Jean Thomson, a missionary there for 30 years. They are devoted to their Prime Minister (Sheik Mujibur Rahman), who has declared Bangladesh a democratic, socialistic and secular nation, but has had to start from scratch to build up the economy.

“I, personally, feel Bangladesh will make the grade as a nation, but it will take time for the economy to become viable,” Miss Thomson said. Miss Thomson, a teacher at the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society’s station at Shandpur, said: “The West Pakistani owners took all equipment and all currency back to the west wing of the republic during the struggle for independence.” When homes were destroyed in reprisal actions in East Pakistan, about 20m people had to live with relatives. Then some 10m refugees returned from India and had to be housed. REHOUSING “Rehousing is the Government’s biggest problem, though many overseas relief agencies are helping,” she said. “One of our own missionaries, the Rev. P. McNee, of Greymouth, is assisting with housing reconstruction with money supplied from England and also from C.0.R.5.0., New Zealand. He is working in the Chandpur

area, where wooden posts and iron roofs are being put up as houses for the most needy villagers.” In Brahmanbaria, another of the missionary society’s fields of service, the medical

department was distributing milk in an effort to help improve the health of the people, she said. About 3m people lost their lives in the struggle for independence. As a result

there were countless widows in Bangladesh who had to be the bread-winners for their families. A vast scheme was now in operation to teach these women occupational skills, so that they could eam a living to keep themselves and their children, she said. “Otherwise, these women would become beggars.’ These are but a few of the problems affecting a country trying to establish itself — human problems in a population of 75m who live in a land area about half the size of New Zealand. STAYED AT MISSION Miss Thomson remained at her church’s mission in Chandpur throughout the independence crisis. The Pakistani army occupied the area from April, 1971, until December 8, when it was taken by the East Pakistan guerrilla forces and the Indian army.

Though the West Pakistan army committed appalling atrocities in East Pakistan in a desperate effort to keep Pakistan as one nation, Miss Thomson said she had experienced “humane and considerate treatment” from some of the West Pakistan officers.

“These were exceptions among the officers in the occupying forces,” she said and made no further comment.

“I had a great admiration for the young men of East Pakistan, particularly the college students and senior high school boys who went to India to train as guerrillas and came back to help liberate their country. It was quite thrilling to share the joy and excitement of the people when they were liberated.” REFUGEES Though Miss Thomson remained at Chandpur, mission staff at Brahmanbaria had to leave and take refuge in India. Miss Dorothy McKessar of Christchurch, a colleague of Miss Thomson, took mission school teachers, nurses and others over the border to safety. She was accompanied by two other New Zealand Baptist missionaries, Miss M. Taylor, of Tauranga, and Miss Alison Gibson, of Dunedin. Apart from three years teaching at one of ,the Dr Graham’s Homes in Kalinipong in the foothills of the Himalayas, Miss Thomson spent her missionary service in Chandpur and Tripura, India.

Chandpur has a Christian literature centre and a small mission school. Brahmanbaria has a school, a small maternity and field welfare centre and an outdoor dispensary. Both do evangelistic work and are subdivisions of the Comilla district of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society, which has had stations in this area of Bangladesh since the 1890 s, when the country was East Bengal. Miss Thomson has settled in her home town, Gisborne, for her retirement, which will become effective next January. She has been in Christchurch to attend the New Zealand Baptist assembly and the annual meeting of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.