The 100 days of the AL-led government
THE 100 days benchmark seems to have been established to evaluate the performance of democratically elected governments across the world. The Awami League-led government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will reach its100-day milestone on April 19. Is the public pleased with the performance of the government so far?
The AL-led government raised high expectations in the people as it was elected with a landslide majority. When the expectations are so high, naturally many cannot meet them in 100 days.
What people expect in the 100 days is a direction for the country, and to see that the election manifesto under the title of Din Badaler Sanad (charter for change) of the Awami League is being translated into actions. Given the above background, let us assess the successes and failures of the 100 days of the government.
A dramatic change was demonstrated by the prime minister in constituting her cabinet with a mixture of experienced and young ministers. It is refreshing to see women in key ministries of the government, such as home, foreign affairs and agriculture.
The most obvious success appears to be lowering of the prices of rice and edible oil in the market. Some of the seasonal vegetables are reasonably priced, although the prices of fish, meat and chicken have gone up. Although the prices fluctuate in accordance with the supply and demand, there is some relief for the people.
Some major development projects, including the construction of Padma Bridge, are afoot. The deep-sea port project has been revived. All these demonstrate dynamism in the actions of the government.
The holding of cabinet meetings in the Secretariat is commendable because almost all the ministries are located in the Secretariat and the secretaries are not required to go to the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon amidst traffic jam, wasting time and petrol.
It is noted that the process of the trial of the war criminals has commenced in accordance with the resolution of the Parliament adopted on January 29. The decision has been acclaimed as the right step.
Although there are different views on the way the government resolved the BDR crisis, the important point to note is the supremacy of the civilian administration. The prime minister's decision has underscored the fact that the armed forces stay under the command of the civilian administration and that the crisis was resolved by the government on a political level. This has not gone unnoticed in the international community.
Some of the decisions of the government have led again to confrontational politics. Accordingly the political climate has been rocked. Destablisation in the political environment impedes economic growth and development and, above all, shakes the people's confidence in good governance.
The AL-student fronts have not accepted the "Charter of Change" and have created unrest in the academic campuses. The in-fighting among them has tarnished the image of the AL government. It appears that AL central leaders cannot control or discipline them, although the prime minister has resigned as the head of the student-front.
There are allegations that the bureaucracy and officials of the government, including doctors, are being reshuffled for politically motivated reasons. There is a perception that past practices are being followed in the transfer of officials and, as a result, senior officers hesitate to take decisions lest they are transferred, which has led to some kind of weariness in the working of the government.
The energy sector (electricity) has not improved, therefore the industrial sector will continue to suffer. Although many people in the urban areas understand that more energy cannot be provided immediately, people in the countryside are receiving electricity for the irrigation for the Boro crop.
The water crisis, specially in Dhaka, has deepened, and the affected people are frustrated at not getting adequate supply of safe water for their domestic use. They want their MPs do something concrete to alleviate their suffering, particularly during the hot season.
The performance of the government in the 100 days is like the question "is the glass half-empty or half-full." The answer varies according to the political persuasion of the person. The common perception is that the record of government so far is mixed.
"Public sentiment," as Abraham Lincoln said, "is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed."
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