Spotlight: Expectations from the New Government

http://thedailystar.net/campus/2008/12/03/camspotlight_expectation.htm

Photo: Iqbal Ahmed/ Driknews

Welcome to the 21st century! A time when it is possible to have an African-American man to be the president of the United States, to abolish the age old monarchy in Nepal and to hold parliamentary elections in the secluded Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. A Bangladesh where there hasn’t been a Hartal/Strike/Oborodh for two long years!

Yes, everything is possible today, but it will only happen if all of us believe that we will be able to do it. In this election, a lot of change has been promised and expected but there are speculations as to how much change actually will happen when the new government takes power in a couple of weeks time!

In recent times, there has been a growing demand for not electing the marked collaborators of the Pakistani Army in 1971 (Razakars). I personally believe that as much as it is important not to put the Razakars back to power, it is also equally important not to put today’s Razakars back to power. And who would today’s Razakars be? They are the corrupts, the loan defaulters and the terrorists and any other people for whom getting elected was meant to be an opportunity to fulfil all their personal whims and wishes, rather than an opportunity to serve the nation!

My expectations from the new government would be to minimize corruption and to improvise the communication systems. I believe corruption has been the root of all evil in Bangladesh and minimizing it, if not completely eliminating it, should be the first priority. According to a New York Times report, over 30 billion US Dollars have been poured into this state as foreign aid from 1971 to 2005 and we still continue to have a huge number of people living below the poverty line!

Communication systems between the different cities and townships (and inside them) in Bangladesh has much room for improvement and it is high time that it is done now. A divided expressway between Dhaka and Chittagong is a must and so are a number of flyovers in different locations across Dhaka city.

And lastly, I would want the opposition party not to call any strikes/hartals and oborodhs and think of other peaceful means of protest instead. Both the party in power and the one in opposition should work together to make a beautiful and prosperous Bangladesh that our forefathers had fought for 37 years back.

On a concluding note, I would like to point out that the upcoming election will have a record 31 percent of first time voters, on which we had previously published another cover story (http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/02/03/camspotlight.htm). This week’s cover is all about the different expectations young people have, whose votes are likely to have a major impact in shaping up the new government.

So, on Election Day tomorrow (29th December, 2008), go and cast your vote for someone who is most likely to benefit your area the most. This is your chance to play a role in shaping up the new government so do not waste it!