Shunning the path of misleading people

We are going in circles. The Yunus episode, the poor performance of our cricket team, the generous sanctioning of funds for purchase of cars for civil servants (on ownership basis) of the ranks and status of Secretaries and Joint Secretaries, the unstable share market, the reported move to enact laws concerning inheritance rights which, according to many religious groups in the country, will run counter to the dictates of the Quran and Sunnah etc., are not only confusing the people but also making them frustrated and angry. People have this feeling that due to these engagements their core issues of living and livelihood have been set aside or ignored. All that the regime is engaged in, is consolidating the position of its party. Evidently, there, too, it has totally messed up. Can one tell us as to who and why started this controversy surrounding the Nobel Laureate and to whose benefit? We often talk about our image both at home and abroad but the question is: is this helping to enhance our image any way? Someone said the other day that what steps government takes with regard to Yunus, is an internal affair of the country. Should that be true there are instances when we have ourselves solicited foreign interference in our internal affairs, time and again. Can one deny that in each of our major moves our politicians themselves have welcomed the interference by foreign countries There are media reports and stories galore when we have sought, if you may please, foreign intervention or shall I say mediation to resolve emerging political impasses within the country, not once but several times. The truth of it is: the power that is of the time decides at random as to what constitutes interference in our internal affairs by a foreign country and what does not. In reality, it is at best an arrangement of convenience. Mystery still shrouds, for the common man in particular as to who was behind the last army-backed caretaker government? We are further confused by revelations made by Wikileaks. The world today is like a global village; it is thus but natural that others would be interested in such an issue involving the Nobel Laureate. Our diplomatic relationships with other countries aside, Yunus's concept and idea of micro-finance has caught on the imagination of many countries of the global community and they are already on way to replicate the system in their own countries. Yunus is a global personality and whatever happens around and with him is bound to generate interests in other corners of the world. We are yet to see any one else coming out with a better system in micro-finance and poverty alleviation in the country. Whatever happened with our cricket team is rather sad and unfortunate. Too many cooks spoiled the broth. At one stage it appeared that the our administration at its highest level was leading the entire show from the front. Too many non-professionals were dealing with the matter at random. This resulted in the build-up of some unrealistic expectations both in the minds of the people and the organizers-including the players themselves. You see the build-up of euphoria and ecstasy coupled with high expectations of the those in the echelons of power became too much of pressures to which our players ultimately succumbed. While on the ground their minds were more occupied with the thoughts of how those at the helm of power, the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (BCCB) authorities would take it should they loose? This mental preoccupation prevented them from playing their natural game. This love and hate relationship between the ruling party and the bureaucrats appear to be so confusing. At one time none other than the Prime Minister herself castigated the performance of our civil servants, in no uncertain terms. And now the generous offer of funds for purchase of cars for officers of the ranks of Joint Secretaries and Secretaries appears to be rather odd. What prompted this change of mind? The answer is best known to the concerned authorities? A few days back a media report took me by surprise. Apparently our Food Secretary had submitted a proposal to provide rice to 40 million people of the country at Taka 8.0 a kilogram (Kg). The matter, however, was contradicted by none other than the Minister for food. I do not know what to make of it but surely given the circumstances, it can best be defined as a figment of imagination. Very recently I had come across a number of media reports indicating a move for enactment of a piece of legislation, for, what such reports said, providing equal inheritance rights both for male and female successors to the family property. But this has not confirmed by those who matter. Yet then, the media reports hare apparently angered a number of religious groups of the country, terming the 'move' as being contra to the dictates of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. Reportedly, they have even called for a nation-wide hartal on April 4. I am not certain whether the move is on, without going into its merits and demerits, to make it a statutory law What bothers us that whenever the ruling party moves to enact a law or make a declaration, in no time it becomes not only controversial but also confusing. These and many more issues that we are confronted with on a daily basis, are only reflective of the poor management acumen of the ruling party. This regime, whether knowingly or unknowingly, is playing with peoples' time and resources. This administration is run either on whims or absolute partisan considerations where the voice of the people and their concerns are of no consequence. The writer can be reached e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com