AS we look back to 2007 we do so with a mixed feeling. The pessimists perhaps might say that it could have been better. We would like to suggest that as things turned out for us in Bangladesh, it could have been worse.

We weathered several calamities of different definitions and magnitude. We had to endure the worst type of a political storm at the very beginning of the year 2007 with grave political uncertainty stalking our door.

It was a great pity that the democratic dispensation and political continuity had to be abridged. /Vid it all stemmed from the loss of credibility of the first caretaker government headed by the president himself, who belonged to one of die constituent elements of die 4-party coalition government. The non-neutral character of the first caretaker government was thus diluted, dashing all hopes of a free and fair election.

It was to the great relief of die people that the political animosity played out on the streets was ended with the cancellation of the January' election and formation of an interim government; the military having played very timely and important role in diat development. /Vid it was a change that had by and large the support of the people dial was engendered by the hope of seeing a new tenor in the politics of Bangladesh, and a free and fair election, the only demand of the people. The drive against corruption was highly appreciated by all.

However, it appears that die caretaker government had perhaps bitten more than it could chew. Its handling of the reforms issue left much to be desired. We seem to have reached a cul de sac insofar as political reform is concerned, with the apparent bid to disassociate the two leaders from politics becoming an act bordering on the ridiculous.

The past year has been a gruesome experience for die poor and the middle income groups struggling to keep their body and soul togedier with the unbridled spiraling of prices of essential consumer goods. The overall economic picture was bleak at die very' best.

And we had the misfortune of being battered by one of the most disastrous cyclones in recent times that hit the coastal area at the very fag end of the year that added to our woes. In between the times we were visited twice by floods. We take pride in the fact that the resilient nation dial we are, we have tackled the natural calamities fairly well.

A redeeming feature of the 2007 has been die arrest trial and execution of the terrorists whose fall had been as quick as their rise. But that should not make us complacent, because, from all that we can assess, theyare not done with their jobyet.

We would like to welcome the New Year widi optimism. The country is waiting eagerly for a free and fair election well before the end of 2008 after incorporating die political reforms that would prevent the country' from the political degeneration diat we witnessed in the recent past. .Vid that is what we expect the caretaker government to employ all its energy'in.

Happy newyear to our readers.