Author:
Muhammad Mustafa Hussain
Professor, Purdue University.
Whether it’s research or national development, two paths always emerge—incremental improvement and disruption. One means refining and making existing systems more efficient; the other is about changing the system itself. BEAR, vFabLab, Mobile Fab, and Silicon River initiatives are never about the incremental path—they strive to create new realities. These are efforts that, God willing, aim to take Bangladesh to such heights where we are not lagging followers but builders of the future. Among these, the concepts and impact of vFabLab and Mobile Fab are global.
Bangladesh has been undergoing incremental change for many years. A rote-based education system, low value-added industry, and overreliance on a few sectors of the economy—all have limited our pace of progress. While there has been gradual improvement, we have never been able to lead on the world stage. Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea—they didn’t change their national destiny through small steps, but through bold disruptions. Subtle changes within old structures were not their way; rather, they built entirely new frameworks. But for that, leadership and social mindset are essential. A less unfocused “all of the above” approach, and that “why not” grit.
One of the biggest obstacles to our progress is political blindness. Politics often loses its principled foundation and becomes a game of power. I always maintain my distance from politics, because politics is only valuable when it centers on service, purpose, and impact—not power. Unfortunately, when party loyalty is put above truth and justice, the country falls behind. The greatest damage occurs when people abandon their own judgment to become blind followers of leaders or parties. In reality, a voter is an employer—and the politician is their employee. Forgetting this relationship also sets the nation on the wrong path.
In a culture of blind loyalty, corruption takes root, mediocre people rise to the top, capable individuals are sidelined, and the nation stagnates. This culture must change—because a country does not progress only through its leaders, but because of its conscious, principled, rational citizens. Politics is just a path, but a nation’s real strength lies in its teachers, researchers, engineers, doctors, innovators, entrepreneurs, and honest ordinary people.
I see a lot of interest from people wanting to invest in semiconductors. Many think it’s similar to the garment industry, which earned its global place through perseverance. But if we truly believe Bangladesh can carve out a new space, then initiatives like BEAR and Silicon River are the way forward. These don’t just change industries—they change mindsets. The next generation will see—they won’t just compete globally, but will create future technologies themselves.
I never claim to know everything. I only try to put education, experience, influence, and networks to use for my people. This is never an easy task—there will be opposition, misunderstandings, and obstacles. Just the other day, I saw someone comment elsewhere that semiconductors are a pipe dream for Bangladesh. I know that true change is never born within the comfort zone. To move a nation forward, we must be courageous, sincere to the truth, and develop within ourselves the power to spread light.
Today, Bangladesh stands at a crossroads. One path is familiar—where we will gradually improve. The other is new—where we will take risks, learn, innovate, and build the future ourselves. My hope, God willing, is that we choose that new path—which is difficult, but full of potential. The glory of a nation is never built on comfortable decisions; it is built on visionary, humane, and courageous steps.
Again, I firmly believe that it is not politicians who build a nation; it is its people. And if people can change themselves, then the destiny of an entire nation can be reshaped.
Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:11)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ
“Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
May Almighty Allah help us, God willing.
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