One of the unfortunate realities of Bangladesh’s development over the last few decades is the inequitable way it has been carried out.

With the brunt of our development being concentrated within regions that were already considered to be urban, our nation’s rural areas have missed out on the many amenities currently enjoyed by out megacities.

And that is exactly why the recent announcement of the government looking to develop close to 90,000 villages while also targeting the generation of employment in these regions is absolutely in tune with the need of the hour.

According to the program, a total of 30 guidelines will be prepared which would deal with village communication, growth centres and market infrastructure, rural water supply, rural waste management, upazila master plan, community space, capacity development of the local government institutions, and establishing computer villages.

This is exactly the sort of comprehensive planning Bangladesh needs when it comes to rural development.

Over 60% of the population lives in villages which easily fall under the category of marginalized people, a vast swathe who are completely excluded from our development net. As such, the “My  Village My Town” program stands to uplift an inordinate amount of people when it comes to both livelihoods and quality of life.

As a nation, Bangladesh’s development trajectory has been unprecedented given our humble and impoverished beginnings. But unless that development is spread and enjoyed in an equitable manner, it matters little how many high rises we erect or bridges we build.

True development takes each and every one into account.