Here are some comments that came in response to Sunday's The Daily Star report headlined “AL sees bad days ahead

Kamal, Singapore

Government is wasting too much time in unproductive issues and lack of focus. About war criminals trial there is a very little progress. On the matter of Yunus --those will not bring prosperity for our people. Govt has lack of solid plan and I doubt if they have strategic thinkers in the team. Finance, commerce, power and foreign ministries are poor performers.

Saleh Tanveer

Has it occurred to the government that they have been thus far sitting on a good foreign exchange reserves due to overseas remittances garment exports? This is really a bad time to strain the relations with the west over Yunus affair since it might affect our chances with getting MFN status. If the US congress were to leave out Bangladesh from an MFN status on garment, it will land us in competitive disadvantage and leave the country really struggling.

Fq, USA

The issue is well highlighted in the news. We want to see a serious concern by the government and discuss the issues in a bigger policy level to identify the problems with facts and figures and draw the strategy with time line to address the problems on priority basis. A few mega construction projects might be put to the second priority now.

Manzoor Ashraf

So in these trying times AL really should do its level best to sit with BNP. Together they may devise policies to bear down the inevitable crisis that are approaching our young nation. I would like to suggest that Bangladesh stops taxing imports of basic food items like edible oil, wheat, rice, sugar and pulses.

Secondly, it should handover the running of the ports and major highways to the army and reduces red tapes so that exporters do not face harassment. Thirdly reduce corporation tax. Fourthly make tax free all imports of raw materials and lastly allow tax-free imports of HFO so that private enterprises can run power plants to run their factories and sell access power to other users.

Jalal

The strategy will be to make another multi billion dollar fund for political rescue. Nothing more they can do for the economy.

Anonymous in USA

Awami League members discussed many factors that may lead to bad days for Bangladesh in the future. They mentioned the trouble in the Middle East, return of the expatriates, reduction in the amount of remittance, upward trend of the prices of essentials, and disaster in Japan. Those are potent reasons, no doubt. But they did not mention one very important factor: Dr Yunus and Grameen Bank issue. Since the formation of Friends of Grameen, many other countries supported Dr Yunus and criticised Bangladesh government for bad handling of the issue. The names of the countries supporting Dr Yunus are going up and up gradually, with Spain the latest. This issue will have serious impact on Bangladesh economy as these are the countries on which Bangladesh depends for aid and loan for its development projects.

Abul Kashem

There were many natural calamities in our country during the past regimes along with price-hike of essential commodities in international markets that resulted influence in our local markets too. Now, when there are natural calamities and crisis in international economy, none is found to criticize any certain syndicate. Conscious people may please take a note of this changed situation previous and present.

Anonymous in USA

Awami League has rightly seen that bad days are ahead for Bangladesh. To me the causes of bad days are the following: Non-implementation or slow implementation of development projects. Problems of prioritizing the needs- people-oriented projects are to be given priority, not the projects for satisfaction of some high ups. Problems in the Middle Eastern countries resulting in the return of Bangladeshi workers. Reduction in Expats remittance. Isolation of Bangladesh due to Dr Yunus and Grameen Bank episode.