Criticism is good for democracy!

By Dev Boston University, US
27 March 2005, 18:00 PM
The ruling coalition loves to ignore its own stubborn attitude when it comes to intimidating the opposition and the press. Lately, the dwindling donors are also becoming a nuisance for Bangladesh government because the donors would like to know how their money is spent and whether basic human rights of all citizens are protected, irrespective of their races and religions.

Much of the foreign criticism could have been easily addressed without public knowing about it. But, that is not the way things are happening in Bangladesh.

I am pretty sure that foreign diplomats have tried discreetly to convey their concerns to Bangladesh government but nobody really cared about their concern. So, the laundry is being washed in the public arena much to our government's embarrassment. Nobody should expect that the donors would sit on the sidelines and attach no string to their taxpayers' money. Those days are over! Transparency is required both from donor and recipient countries! Like many other developing countries, Bangladesh does need foreign inputs and investments to make peoples' lives better! We are not ready to do it alone! Not yet!