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NEWS ANALYSIS

'Successes' override people's concerns

PM's Address to Nation

Shakhawat Liton
Addressing the nation on Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina spoke at length about successes and development activities of the government, but skirted around someofthe pressing issues that people were keen to hear about.
Almost every single achievement of the Awami League-led grand alliance government made it to her speech. Even the distribution of multimedia laptops to 503 primary schools got a mention.
The prime minister also did not forget to mention the prices of fertilizer and rice; a day labourer's wage; and introduction of two waterbuses on the Sadarghat-Gabtoli waterway.
The 11 -page speech went on to list as a success the election of three women in the same number of reserved seats in every union parishad, though the system was introduced in her previous term. Likewise, it did not leave out her government's measures to increase hilsa production.
In all, Hasina took 42 minutes to read out the speech, delivered to mark the three years of her government.
Those who had drafted the speech took great pains to include every little success regardless of importance. They might have forgotten that it was the prime minister's address to the nation, not an account of her government's activities. They might have also lost sight of the fact that trying to describe everything in minute detail may make a speech dull.
A head of government addresses the nation on a very few occasions — usually on the eve of the administration's anniversary or in a national emergency. Therefore, the speech should deal with major issues pertaining to the running of the state and programmes to be taken in the coming days.
Contrary to this notion, Hasina's address on Thursday shed little light on the government's plans and programmes for the remaining two years of its tenure.
It was long on the details of her government's successes and measures in the sectors of agriculture, power and energy, education, social safety nets and infrastructure.
The prime minister did not say much about the economic conditions or plans to boost people's confidence in the stockmarket by punishing those responsible for the bourse crash.
She did not elaborate on what steps her administration had planned to promote good governance, curb corruption, make parliament functional and strengthen local governmentbodies.
Public concern about the political turmoil brewing over the issue of caretaker government system was not addressed either.
The AL chief urged the opposition parties to give up confrontational politics and work for the people rising above partisan interests. But her call stands in stark contrast to the reality that the government in last three years took no steps to fulfil the electoral pledges to do away with the culture of confrontational politics.
Such call is sure to be dismissed as merely political rhetoric unless actions are taken.