Bangladesh has come a long way since being labeled a “bottomless basket” in the aftermath of its independence in 1971 by the then US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. In recent years its gains in terms of social indicators such as child mortality and female education, its youthful population and its confidence from gaining a foothold in the global apparel market have all resulted in the country being classed among the ‘new-wave economies’ alongside Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey, Mexico, Argentina and South Africa. As a recent report in the Guardian highlighted:

One of the important drivers of such positive change in Bangladesh is its vast reservoir of human resources, ready for deployment at home as well as in the international market to harness much coveted foreign currency. Even during the global financial crisis in 2007–2008, which also hit many emerging countries through falling western demand for their exports, the Bangladeshi economy has been particularly resilient, thanks to the remittances sent by its expatriate community.

This is not an isolated case of a positive portrayal of Bangladesh's success. In World Bank and World Trade Organization (WTO) rankings in 2010, Bangladesh was listed 21st fastest in terms of GDP growth.