Be circumspect while making comment
No point confusing people
According to Mainul Hosein, the politicians accused of corruption, many of whom are in jail, are playing a game to "put the government in trouble" and make it fail in its mission. So, are we to understand that the present government, backed by the armed forces, is so weak, so limited in its capacity, that a few politicians accused of corruption can make it fail?
We find the adviser's argument rather puerile and indefensible, coming from a responsible member of the caretaker government that had embarked on its tasks with the unstinted support and confidence of the public which has since worn thin. Even more than the infantility of the statement is the disturbing message it carries, which in itself is destabilising for the country.
Such a comment only reflects the tangential focus of the government on issues that require unmitigated concentration. Are we to assume that the "conspirators" are winning and the government, despite all the resources under its command, is failing? We recall the adviser's statement in the same vein where he talked about the consequences of "failure" of this government, which did not go down very well with the people. Adviser Hosein then went ahead to accuse economists across the board of not helping the government either, implying that somehow they are also making the government fail.
We agree that there are challenges facing this government. But that can be easily addressed by the more sensible approach of seeking cooperation of the politicians, economists and civil society members. Making reckless and unthinking comments helps neither the government and much less the country.
We have observed that some advisers make comments on issues that fall outside the purview of their portfolios, thereby confusing people and unwittingly undermining the government. In an earlier editorial, we had suggested that advisers should learn to use the term "no comment" when they are asked to pronounce on matters outside their domain.
Advisers speaking without realising the implications has reached an alarming level, where credibility and effectiveness of the government are coming into question. It is high time that the Chief Adviser puts a stop to all this.
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