Ushering in the new year
THE year 2009 has passed away in the eternal flow of time with all its glories and ignominies. Although all the years are equal in the scale of time, some years are more memorable than others, either for heights of achievements or for depth of miseries. The year 2009 will be remembered in Bangladesh as the year of hope and introspection.
As 2010 starts, it is quite clear that our main problem is still clinging to us, as the ruling AL and the opposition BNP are looking like their usual selves. The bitter relations between the government and the opposition, with each side blaming the other unjustifiably, has become a pervasive problem that we have been facing over the years.
The opposition has failed as a responsible opposition, just as the government has failed as a responsible government. Both the BNP and AL, when in opposition, did not promote the cause of democracy and their electorate, as they boycotted parliamentary sessions. Politics has really gone awry, and needs to be placed on the right track.
The new year starts its journey with the fourth session of the 9th Parliament. It is an encouraging development that the main opposition BNP has said that it will return to Parliament and play a role in decision making on important national issues. But the downside is that this interest is not without condition. The opposition wants the government to create a congenial atmosphere for its return to Parliament.
The prices of foodstuff, including rice, wheat, edible oil, onion, lentil, and baby-food, have registered another round of steep increase on the eve of the new year, after implementation of the new pay scale.
The prices of rice and wheat had declined in the first few months of the new government, but registered a sharp rise again as the government did not give due emphasis to tackling the issue. The majority of the people in the country have already become crippled with the persistent pressure of price spiral of all essential commodities.
The new year brings some relief for 1.2 million government officers and employees amidst rising inflation, who are drawing their salaries in the new pay scale. But it will be momentary if the government fails to tame the kitchen market.
By putting the clock back to the original position on the eve of the new year, the government has given some relief to the suffering masses. Many people consider it as a new year's gift for the people from the government, as they had been suffering much during the winter days because of the tyrannical time.
No other step of this government was so annoying to the people as the DST was. But it is a mystery why the same unnecessary step, on the plea of saving electricity, will be repeated after three months despite public discontent and protests against it.
Climate change, although a concern for all, poses a greater and immediate threat to Bangladesh. The country is likely to face a severe food crisis by 2050 due to sharp fall in rice production because of shift in monsoon due to climate change. The farce that was played out in Copenhagen has achieved nothing in terms of its stated objectives. So we need to build our own approach to face the spectre of climate change.
The people in Bangladesh will remember 2009 as a year of redemption from the burden of guilt. The landmark judgement by the Supreme Court on the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975, is one of the defining moments of the year.
Twelve months is not enough for evaluation of the achievement of a government which faces a backlog of unresolved problems accumulated over the years. The people are hopeful again in 2010, the though overall performance of the government is not satisfactory.
Although much light is not seen on the political spectrum, the year 2010 is likely to be economically and politically significant for the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to fly New Delhi on January 10, on her first state visit to India during her present term in office. Her visit is expected to remove the distrust between the countries in the past.
The economy, which has survived the shocks of global recession, is now in a reasonable shape. The country ended the fiscal year 2009 with a 5.9% GDP growth and it is close to 7% in the first half of the on-going fiscal year. So there is reason to think of a bright future ahead.
There is a saying that the streets of Philadelphia are safe, but it is the men and women who make them unsafe. A year can also be called good, but it is the men and women who shape the year and make events either good or bad. Let us usher in the new year to bring happiness and prosperity for the nation.
A.N.M. Nurul Haque is a columnist of The Daily Star.
E-mail-anmnhaque@hotmail.com
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