The social and economic disparity continues to rise in the country and this has to be addressed before things get out of control, said noted economist Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman today.

"In our country, there was always a culture of solidarity. But slowly, with the widening economic disparity, social disparity is also increasing rapidly," he said.

He was speaking at the launch of the book "My Golden Bengal: Views and Voices from Civil Society", a collection of introspective interviews of eminent civil society members of Bangladesh, taken by René Holenstein, a former Swiss ambassador to Bangladesh.

The University Press Ltd launched the book at its office in the capital.

Zillur, former adviser to a caretaker government, said the people close to power structure have a similar kind of thought process and movement in the society, and there is a sense of arrogance in them.

"On the other hand, those who are not close to the power structure, are helpless. It is regrettable that the elite class is least bothered about the low-income people and their struggles," he said.

New elite psychology of arrogance is related to being in power without competition, said Zillur, adding, "We need to be alarmed about it."

Many of the elites no longer have their homes, health, and education in the country, but know the channels of being in the power structure.

"Such a situation, if continued, will frustrate the youths. In fact, many of the youths are opting to leave the country," he said.

René Holenstein, who was ambassador here from 2017 to 2020, said Bangladesh had a dream of becoming a socialist democratic country and now the question is where it is proceeding now.

In the book, he tried to break the stereotype about Bangladesh that it is a poor and natural disaster-prone country. The book published earlier in 2021 in Germany will also give foreign readers a true picture of this country.

At the event, lawmaker Aroma Dutta said globally the space for not only civil societies but also political actors is shrinking, and there is a rise of fundamentalist and nationalist forces.

Current Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh, Reto Renggli, said civil society plays a critical role in the development of Bangladesh.

He said the people of Bangladesh are ambitious and hard-working, and they should be at the forefront of development.

Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori, said building an inclusive society is the embodiment of Golden Bengal, and marginalised people should be given a stronger voice for the country to be truly inclusive.

UPL Managing Director Mahrukh Mohiuddin and Jahangirnagar University Prof Dr Shahab Enam Khan also spoke at the event moderated by Barrister Manzoor Hasan, executive director of Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University.

Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain, distinguished CPD fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya, The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam and rights activist Hameeda Hossain, among others, were present at the event.