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Beautifying ugly projects!

2 November 2004, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By A Mawaz Dhaka
2 November 2004, 18:00 PM
The caprices of the regime and the DCC are unfathomable. Suddenly 'Beautifying Dhaka' project was launched to add lustre to the forthcoming SAARC conference in Dhaka. Now, according to press reports, the wily contractors made money on tree plantations along the roads, as most of the saplings have died due to poor quality and supervision and the absence of disciplinary steps.

When we read about the above situations against the latest news that Bangladesh is once again classified as the most corrupt country in the world for the fourth successive time, the credibility of most projects is revealed (make some money on the side).

Why was it considered essential to beautify Dhaka to impress the SAARC delegates? SAARC is stalled for decades, and cosmetic effects are a huge waste of time and money. Get the political environment right first, not the horticulture or gardening!

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Look at how the two major political parties in Dhaka are behaving with each other, and with the voters,; then how do we expect SAARC to flower?

Let us watch how this beautification of Dhaka affects the participants and the resolutions. How about inner cleanliness and practising transparency in politics and governance? First things first. Branches and leaves do not generate roots; it is the other way round!