So there is no present lor the nation on the new war's day Eminently because of the failure of the politicians to deliver what was expected ol them Call it negative politics — or even political naivety — or whatever you will, there is a growing sense'that the politicians have let the people down That feeling of disappointment, instead of getting dissipated, is likely to degenerate into defiance and disdain as the political turmoil Itxiks set for disrupting social jxaie and progress

Indeed, no nation — except those in war — can think of a worse way to begin the new year. What began as a dispute about the election results of a parliamentary seat culminated, at the year end. Into the most divistvely dominant issue. In the process the more important issues failed to capture the nation's imagination. For long ten months the Jatiya Sangsad was virtually turned into a rubber-stamp parliament. If the opposition has walked out. the ruling party did no better.

It is not Just the parliamentary backlog but the awful performance by our politicians that set the grim tone for the year 1995 Unless something dramatic happens*, the political future of the country looks very bleak. Amid such dismal political performances. forces opposed to democracy and social peace are likely to have a field-day All the institutions and values that hold society to gether get weakened by the cumulative effects of bad politics. A sharp rise in crimes and religious bigotry bore testimony to this during last year. The only silver-lining is that towards the end of 1994. the threat pl fundamentalism could be contained to a degree — though not removed — through the sheer force of conscious and articulate public opinion against It. •

Hie agriculture sector did reasonably well. Our crop production — unaffected as it Is by politics — has recorded a tremendous boost. So has been the performance of the stock exchange market, indicating the high potential fpr capital forma tion. Inflation, was low but the consumer price index could not lx* contained proportionately.

On the international front much as the united Nations may have had its nose snubbed against the defiant -feuding parties' intransigence, our troops Joined Its forces to help its peace missions. In our eagerness to see peace established, we were deeply shocked at the Bosnian ethnic cleansing and Rwandan massacre of civilians. Only the South African racial integration and Pales Unian peace efforts gave an ideal setting for furtherance of peaceful co-existence between communities, cutting across religious, racial and ethnic divides. let us learn fronrsuch amity and accommodation and build on them to make the new year meaningful.