Opinion
Lack-lustre Governance
There is too much ad hocism in administration, and the informal private sector is mushrooming with hardly any regulation, monitoring and prosecution. There are many examples.
After many years the government has paid attention to formal computer training project within a regulated environment. The private tuition centres and English medium schools are fleecing the public and the authority is hardly concerned with the standard of services offered, as the silence does not give them the benefit of the doubt. If necessary a separate Cell may be opened in the Education Department to look after this multi-crore sector involving lakhs of pupils all over Bangladesh.
The policy-makers and executive officials hardly speak publicly on the pressing issues. Simply declaring that the national education policy will be implemented is not enough. The implications of current issues have to be analysed for public enlightenment.
The elected government must pay more attention to routine work, and goad the indolent civil service to push the files and activate field work. There is too much of sermonising with too little output. Another irritating point is that small successes are over publicised too many times (for example, the pathetic tale of increasing the capacity of new telephone connections by a mere 60,000 lines in Dhaka; and that too may be not during this century!).
Many new entrepreneurs are setting up shops and services like boutiques, and fashion and beauty centres, Where are the Regulations, and awareness campaigns? The private telephone booth is another informal business where the codes for customers are not publicised. Why a local telephone call should cost Taka five? Who authorised it? Do these establishments have trade licence? Why it is not displayed at the premise?
Why the price of big and live fish are higher than that of beef and meat in this land of waters and rivers (plus thousands of new fish farms)? The food adulteration prosecutions are not adequately publicised for the public to realise that the monitoring agencies are on their toes and rendering public service as paid by the exchequer.
The PR (public relations) of the regulating and prosecuting agencies is poor. No PROs available after meeting the requirement of the ministers? The PID routinely cover all the ministries and departments, independent of VIP content in the daily menu or programme. How many inspectors have faced disciplinary action for dereliction of duty? Administration is more than upbraiding the Opposition!
What is introspective administration? Public exposure is not enough - the crooks have to be exposed also through the regulatory machinery. Good office and trade practices have to be cultivated, led by the public representatives, and backed by the civil service. Of course, the public will support.
The motor workshops are not being removed from the main and crowded thoroughfares. These are not hidden. What is the hesitation in prosecuting them? Why the road intersections cannot be kept free of parking vehicles? It does not need military commandos to do the job.
More attention is being paid to the opposition in abusing them than to daily routine matters resulting in public dissatisfaction, creating adverse public image about the ruling regime. The ministers are busy with the headline topics, and do not monitor the performance of their own ministries and attached departments and tell the public about good governance (the government officers are not permitted to talk to the press).
There is no official explanation of where the thousands of tons of imported onions disappeared after unloading from three ships in Chittagong. The eviction drives from plots in Dhaka city is a welcome job, but these are carried out sporadically, without any system or plan. Why this scheme cannot continue three days a week for one or two years? Bare the real teeth, not the ivory tusks.
The list is endless; patience is not.
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