Editorial
If There was Smoke
We are all reasonably relieved that the air has been cleared of the utterly unnecessary and undesirable controversy over the name of Zia International Airport. Few questions about the genesis of the controversy, however, remain to be answered. It is not for nothing that the storm of controversy raged in the first place. After all, as the proverb goes there must be some sort of fire if there is any smoke. In fact, a vernacular daily which tracked the origin of this 'change talk' in a supposedly departmental directive referred to civil aviation minister's argument that the move was aimed at restoring the original name of the airport which came to be replaced as Zia International Airport since 1981. The civil aviation state minister is quoted to have remarked, that proper governmental norm was not observed in naming ZIA. Assuming that the minister is right, we feel he approached the subject bureaucratically. The approach should have been political. Specially when it dealt with a person like former president Ziaur Rahman whose party secured 34% votes compare to ruling party's 37% in the last general elections. It is the self-defeating nature of the initiative bordering on unhealthy and holier-than-the-Pope sort of zeal that we find so objectionable. It was naiveté at its height. Never in the whole course of the matter, any thought seemed to have been given to the political consequences of pursuing such a plan. We believe the government should not create distraction for itself by initiatives such as this. At the same time we commend the government for showing maturity and clearing the air in a manner that may appear as a strategic retreat. This is not for the first time that the government of Sheikh Hasina has run into such an embarrassing situation. We would like to warn the government that there seem to be elements at work within it who are periodically involving it in acts that are enormously damaging for its efficiency and popularity from the motive of ingratiating themselves through excessive devotion and zeal.
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