Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
The new year 2019 has already started. Meanwhile Bangladesh has experienced a happy beginning, as Sheikh Hasina has won a landslide victory in the election taken place on 30th December 2018 by projecting to every Bangali’s mind in reconstructing and restructuring the country for last 10 years, Sheik Hasina has done everything relentlessly for her beloved countrymen. She has had a good tenure. In the midsts myriads limitations, she has left no stone unturned to make Bangladesh a role model. Finally by her sincere efforts Bangladesh has been graduated from LDC to a developing country.
She had mission to make a digital Bangladesh and in order to achieve it she had many substantial plan and programs. The remarkable programs, we may mention the making of Padma Bridge. Inaugurating metro rail project, making several fly-over’s with a view to getting rid of traffic jam and some other projects on technologies. Even, she had her participation in several world forums to minimize disparities between poor and rich. Her most important contribution was in the field of sustainable and balanced economy. She had a significant role in the climate change issue and took part in several Earth Summits and conferences. We have witnessed tremendous success and development in the sector like education, health, sanitation, food during her tenure. All these have been achieved by her good leadership. On top of that, as a competent daughter of our father of the nation who himself was a charismatic leader. Sheikh Hasina inherits the quality of a great leader from her father and adorns the values of Bangabandhu. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the most successful in terms of establishing an independent country as he was the first one sowing the seeds of secularism in every Bengali’s heart.
He tried to bridge the wide gap between two nations East and West Pakistan in his primitive journey of politics. Six point program of Bangabandhu was the charter of emancipation back term. He struggled his whole life for his countryman. Bangabandhu was such a leader who actually dreamt of a happier and exploitation free Bangladesh. People were the pivotal point of his thinking. He always thought prospects, possibilities and prosperities. He was out and out a patriotic person. He only loved his country and countrymen by the heart. His free thinking and down to earth nature made him popular among the world’s best leaders.
During the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, some good projects have been taken up by the government. Avenue of youth employment by establishing power hub in Kutubdia, Materbari Coal Power Plant. New Sea Port in Paira, Ruppur Neuclear Power Plants have been opened open-up for new employment. With these projects, trade and commerce have been promoted like never before. Moreover, some economic zones have been established. In order to create new arenas in the field of trade and commerce, all these signals are uplifting and changing the life style. In spite of these there may be unemployed people, but these are the good indicators indeed. People are now highly aspired and convinced with the flow of income generation activities and development. Moreover, the launching of Bangabandhu satellite was a milestone in the arena of development. The view government in the new year must be committed to continue the progressive trend. The government mechanisms and machineries must hold on the developing track of progress. In no way, they must not derail themselves from the journey of development. All activities taken by the government should be people oriented. They should not deceive people. No fraud or fraudulence action should be encouraged from authorities.
The past government had taken various programs for the poor elderly people as well as the autistic and the third gender people to bring them in a social safety net like social securities scheme in the developed world. This was obviously very appreciating initiative. In 2019 people also demand so. In the new year, the new government must take such steps considering their financial ability, they deserve more care. In the present tenure, the poor elderly people could be brought under a national health insurance scheme. Our political leaders should also consider the protection of seeker section of our society specially the ethnic groups both politically and economically. These issues could be included in their manifestos. Awami League government previously has done a commendable development in the sectors like health, energy, infrastructure, women empowerment, media, social security, self-employment etc. as I mentioned earlier. But there remains more space for further development. We have seen those promises in their election manifesto. But, people want to see in reality.
In the new year people’s expectation from the new government specially from Awami League government deserve an analysis. Political parties should highlight their plans on the institutionalisation of the different institutions that are essential for strengthening democratic practices in the country. The people of the country are compelled to experience political violence every year even after 47 years of our independence. Local government strengthening should be one of priority areas for the new government in the new year. The importance of a strong local government is beyond imagination in the overall development of the country. Despite the existence of constitutional provisions in favor of establishing strong and effective local governance we previously failed to strengthen the existing local government structure in the country. People expect a drastic change in the new year.
The most vibrant issue is the quality in education. Although incredible infrastructure development has taken place in the education sector, we have failed to ensure quality in education. Frequent changes in the structure of education at the primary and secondary levels and mushrooming growth of public and private universities have created hindrances to the process of ensuring quality education in the country. Thus new government should incorporate different strategies through which they want to bring change in this sector. They should also make a commitment that they would use the meritocracy as a mechanism of ensuring equality in the education sector. Financial sector reform could be an important issue for new government.
The new government should reaffirm that what initiatives they would take in order to ensure the security of the minority communities. At many times, we have seen that minority people have been subject to exploitation by political party activists not only during the election time but also other times. We have witnessed the oppression against the minority people after the 2001 general election in the country. We have also experienced how the lands of minority people have been grabbed during the BNP government. So security issue needs to be considered with utmost importance by the up-coming government in the new year.
The new government should also reaffirm and provide a reflection of their plan and program. By concepts and thinking people’s opinion may vary from individual to individual. But for greater interest of the country and for people’s welfare discipline is a must. If we want to make Bangladesh a welfare oriented state, we must be united and mostly democratic. We must understand the people’s sufferings and with a view to removing the sufferings all must work unitedly in collaboration and in harmony. In the new year, government should take new innovative research based projects by which society will be formed befitting. The youths need to be made creative, competitive and challenging. They must be guided by values, morality and honesty. Again, the might be directed by the sense of dignity, unity and patriotism. In the new year, the authority who are holding the key of the government will fulfill the people’s will and aspirations. The state authorities must have the bondage of love, mutual respect and fellow feeling. Above all they must be fear-free and have the positive mindset to reconstruct a better Bangladesh.
So far, the Awami League policy makers are run by positive thoughts and liberalism as they have a good leader like Sheikh Hasina in their top. Now other important things like good administration, good governance, transparency, accountability, responsibility, dutifulness, perseverance, discipline, love, loyalty, respects all will lead to achieve a good nation and with this hope, we want to finish the year 2009 happily and successfully. ‘2019 will appear as a year of felicitations. Again it will be an exposure of more shining and smiling. Finaly year 2019 will reflect smile, love and respect under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina’s new government.
