Bangladesh's image
A few minutes on the internet will persuade these gentlemen that the press in the rest of the world does not only print good news. For example, a brief survey of today's headlines from the UK yields the following alarming selection:
"Terrorism threat in UK!"
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "Illegal drugs trade reaches new high!"
"Alarm as postnatal depression soars!"
"Police cannot cope!"
"UK to run out of gas!"
But has this daily catalogue of woe presented to the readers of these newspapers tarnished Britain's image here in Bangladesh? My Bangladeshi friends don't seem to think so: they continue with their educational, leisure and business links with UK unperturbed. They have the common sense to distinguish between a newspaper's duty to bring bad news to public attention and an analysis of longer-term trends in a country's development, for which better sources than the daily paper exist.
The ministers are however not alone in their misapprehension. As readers with connections with that country will know, the UK prime minister is not above shooting the messenger either.