I chose to come to Bangladesh, not for the job, but to make an impact, to make a difference.” That is how Professor Vincent Chang describes his work and experience in Bangladesh during his tenure here as the Vice Chancellor of BRAC University.
He was talking at the event to launch his book, ‘Vincent of Bangladesh’, published by Prothoma Prokashan. The event took place on Tuesday at the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka.
Vincent Chang was blunt in observations and pragmatic in his speech when describing his experience in Bangladesh and in his recommendations. But he spoke on a note of optimism too.
He pointed to China as it was 30 years ago, when its per capita income was lower than what Bangladesh’s per capita income is today. But it has come such a long way forward.
“People call it a miracle. They point to Singapore, South Korea and East Asia as a whole as a miracle. But it is not miracle. It is about doing the right thing at the right time, even if it’s difficult. No pain, no gain. Bangladesh now has expressways, the metro rail and it gives me a sense of déjà vu, of what China use to be. Can Bangladesh come that far by 2041? It will be a daunting task.
