Editorial
PM's address to the nation
Public expectations unmet
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on completion of her four years in office gave an account of her government's achievements on Friday. She made sweeping claims of successes painting a rather rosy picture. Granted, it was only natural for her to highlight her performance and even defend it, but that does not mean she would be blind-folded to the follies of her government that were not inconsiderable.
Her speech has been an unalloyed narrative of successes and an exercise in self-eulogy. But just as people have been beneficiary of the good deeds she and some of her colleagues chalked up, so also have they suffered through failures of Mohajote government in some important areas.
What the people expected to hear from her speech was a meaningful stocktaking and review in order to steer clear of the pitfalls in the preceding four years clearly charting a course of action for the remaining one year of her tenure. Thereby she could infuse a sense of direction and purpose in the public mind.
The prime minister has formally made a plea for another mandate to the nation. But she has done so without even a word uttered about how she is going to ensure a fully participated and credible election in January, 2014. She has ignored the deepening political crisis, without a solution of which, democracy teeters at the edge of ruination.
No free, fair and legitimate election is possible without addressing the serious crisis of confidence between the ruling and the opposition parties leading to the resolution of the contentious caretaker issue.
Yet, she continued with her offensive against the opposition whereas her four years should have been an ideal occasion to make an upfront offer for a dialogue with her political opponents.
Her seeking reelection would have been convincing if she had clearly outlined her plan of action for the next one year and approached the question of smothering the thorny path to the next election. Thus public expectations have, by an large, gone unmet.
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