Who are running this country anyway?
That Biman has become a 'kamdhenu' for high-ups, plundering crores of taka every year, Bangladesh Railway has been paralysed with ulterior motives while the Minister for Communication brags of introducing Maglev train on Dhaka-Chittagong rail route, mills and factories in the third largest industrial city of erstwhile East Pakistan are on the verge of extinction (while jute mills on the bordering areas of our neighbouring country are reported to be fattening every year), sugar mills running at loss though sugar price is sky-high, no hope of improvement in power sector in sight, failure to realise compensation from UNOCOL and NIKO etc. are only a few examples of the inexcusable incompetence of the administration.
The Finance Minister does not feel shy to bloat about the increasing allocations in his routine budget while fattening the so-called public representatives and their sycophants through squandering public money continues viciously squeezing the common people dry. Crores of taka is being spent to embellish the already-glossed life-style of those in power and position while funds are falling short for doing the precious little things most needed for the benefit of the common people. Millions of unemployed youths are passing days in torment and despair but effective efforts to create employment opportunity still remain a far cry.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The apparently incompetent hands in the government has rendered the public land transport system almost lame, rather cunningly pawning the common people to the private motor transport owners' syndicate. In this very heart of the country -- the capital city -- a few roads are being 'beautified' on a regular basis while in many parts city dwellers are passing days in intolerable sufferings for lack of commutable roads, water and power supply. There's only Tk 5/= allocated per head for healthcare while rampant and shameless plunder -- as was reported in a number of dailies -- is going on in the BSMMU (formerly PG Hospital).
The list of failure, mismanagement, malpractice and plundering must be much longer than reported in the newspapers. And the authenticity of the reports is conspicuous on the very face of the naked, underfed and even unfed children and women living in both the city slums and villages of this country. Doubtless there are stories of 'successes' also but at what cost and how many, in comparison to those of failures?
When can we expect our 'uncompromising' leaders will wake from slumber to deal with the incapable and incompetent junkies of administration with uncompromising sternness and sagacity? Or have they been held hostage to the plundering and vicious politics of the country?
Alas, with what zeal and expectation did the mass vote them to power! How long have we to be waiting for a leader as farsighted and patriotic as Mahathir or Lee Quan U? Is it our destiny to be perpetually ruled by shamelessly greedy, imprudent and quarrelsome leaders?