Is this government messing up its priorities?
Friday, 5 June 2009
Shamsher Chowdhury
THIS government is slowly and surely developing signs of the last failed caretaker government. It has now become evident that the last caretaker government has not only failed to deliver but has left a legacy that is likely to cast shadows over successive governments to come.
Its entire focus is faulty. Like the caretaker government it is mixed up and confused with priorities. It has already lost valuable time whiling away on secondary and non-issues. For example it is vigorously engaged in ghost hunting, to brow beat and continually harass the opposition that is already in a state of total chaos and disarray. Likewise the shuffling and reshuffling of key civil service personnel in ministries and elsewhere have created a panic. The Prime Minister the other day has expressed her dissatisfaction over the performance of the Ministries.
As one goes deeper into the cause for the entire exercise, it should not be difficult to see why? From whatever I could gather from the media reports it is my impression that extensive shuffling of officers between ministries including field level officers at district levels where officers are not only given postings but being relocated from one district to the other. After all civil servants do have families that they have to take care of. All this is certainly causing serious dislocation in the lives of the families.
Things are all the more complicated when the incumbent has no idea as to how long he or she has to be working in the changed location and the position and hence an inertia sets in. After all, the incumbent has also to worry about the future and continuity of his children's education etc. Besides for the officers being transferred to outer district locations it also entails some extra costs by way of "setting up of a new home". Under the given circumstances, it is quite likely that work output and the performance level of the officials would be affected in this environment of uncertainty; hence no wonder that their performance level has dropped.
On the other hand, just like the Caretaker Government it has unduly indulged itself in too many contentious issues all at once. After all the government has five years at its disposal to accomplish the tasks entrusted to it. This has not only made performing for the government difficult but also raised doubts and confusion in the minds of the people of the ultimate outcome of its interventions.
Besides just like the Caretaker Government it has inducted people in the cabinet that are least trained and in experienced in either statecraft or political management of a country. Many of the individuals chosen, as honest or good as they maybe, are neither efficient nor effective as tools running the affairs of a government of a country as complex as Bangladesh. On the other hand many of the key members of the cabinet have already embarrassed the government by making irresponsible statements to the media on some critical issues facing the country. Not only that very often they tend to contradict each other.
A similar scenario exists in the management of the financial sector. Apparently an experienced professional is entrusted with the job. I for one have been quite baffled by his numerous conjectures and statements made to the media. I wonder as to what prompted him and the government to continually telling people that the effects of global recessions are unlikely to have any major impact on Bangladesh. And now we are being asked to face the "realities'' of the fall out. It is often not clear as to what the venerable minister was trying to convey or achieve. But I have this feeling that just like the Caretaker Government his methods and measures may end up putting our economy in further jeopardy. The problem with this government is that it suffers from a false sense of well-being and that time shall take care of matters and in the meantime people have only their fate to blame.
Like the Caretaker government this government too has already lost its touch with the people and the realities on the ground despite the fact that it came into power with a landslide mandate. Like the Caretaker Government people enthusiastically welcomed this Government too when it took the reins of the government, yet people has already become weary of its presence in just over four months.
Just like the people at the helm of the then Caretaker government, no less than the cabinet members of this government too continue to indulge in too much of slogans and rhetoric. Talking more of nonsense than sense and too much too early has been the hallmark of this government too.
It looks to me that this government too is living dangerously under the shadows of the power that be. Many of its interventions do certainly appear to be highhanded and autocratic in character.
We do not wish to see another army backed regime, the past one was one too many.
(The writer can be reached at e-mail: Chowdhury.shamser@yahoo.com)
THIS government is slowly and surely developing signs of the last failed caretaker government. It has now become evident that the last caretaker government has not only failed to deliver but has left a legacy that is likely to cast shadows over successive governments to come.
Its entire focus is faulty. Like the caretaker government it is mixed up and confused with priorities. It has already lost valuable time whiling away on secondary and non-issues. For example it is vigorously engaged in ghost hunting, to brow beat and continually harass the opposition that is already in a state of total chaos and disarray. Likewise the shuffling and reshuffling of key civil service personnel in ministries and elsewhere have created a panic. The Prime Minister the other day has expressed her dissatisfaction over the performance of the Ministries.
As one goes deeper into the cause for the entire exercise, it should not be difficult to see why? From whatever I could gather from the media reports it is my impression that extensive shuffling of officers between ministries including field level officers at district levels where officers are not only given postings but being relocated from one district to the other. After all civil servants do have families that they have to take care of. All this is certainly causing serious dislocation in the lives of the families.
Things are all the more complicated when the incumbent has no idea as to how long he or she has to be working in the changed location and the position and hence an inertia sets in. After all, the incumbent has also to worry about the future and continuity of his children's education etc. Besides for the officers being transferred to outer district locations it also entails some extra costs by way of "setting up of a new home". Under the given circumstances, it is quite likely that work output and the performance level of the officials would be affected in this environment of uncertainty; hence no wonder that their performance level has dropped.
On the other hand, just like the Caretaker Government it has unduly indulged itself in too many contentious issues all at once. After all the government has five years at its disposal to accomplish the tasks entrusted to it. This has not only made performing for the government difficult but also raised doubts and confusion in the minds of the people of the ultimate outcome of its interventions.
Besides just like the Caretaker Government it has inducted people in the cabinet that are least trained and in experienced in either statecraft or political management of a country. Many of the individuals chosen, as honest or good as they maybe, are neither efficient nor effective as tools running the affairs of a government of a country as complex as Bangladesh. On the other hand many of the key members of the cabinet have already embarrassed the government by making irresponsible statements to the media on some critical issues facing the country. Not only that very often they tend to contradict each other.
A similar scenario exists in the management of the financial sector. Apparently an experienced professional is entrusted with the job. I for one have been quite baffled by his numerous conjectures and statements made to the media. I wonder as to what prompted him and the government to continually telling people that the effects of global recessions are unlikely to have any major impact on Bangladesh. And now we are being asked to face the "realities'' of the fall out. It is often not clear as to what the venerable minister was trying to convey or achieve. But I have this feeling that just like the Caretaker Government his methods and measures may end up putting our economy in further jeopardy. The problem with this government is that it suffers from a false sense of well-being and that time shall take care of matters and in the meantime people have only their fate to blame.
Like the Caretaker government this government too has already lost its touch with the people and the realities on the ground despite the fact that it came into power with a landslide mandate. Like the Caretaker Government people enthusiastically welcomed this Government too when it took the reins of the government, yet people has already become weary of its presence in just over four months.
Just like the people at the helm of the then Caretaker government, no less than the cabinet members of this government too continue to indulge in too much of slogans and rhetoric. Talking more of nonsense than sense and too much too early has been the hallmark of this government too.
It looks to me that this government too is living dangerously under the shadows of the power that be. Many of its interventions do certainly appear to be highhanded and autocratic in character.
We do not wish to see another army backed regime, the past one was one too many.
(The writer can be reached at e-mail: Chowdhury.shamser@yahoo.com)