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Time for collective action

Let us collectively lift Bangladesh from the gloom, despondency and despair surrounding us, and build a new Bangladesh which would embody the ideals of our Liberation War and fulfill the hopes and aspiration of the youths, the poor and the vulnerable, particularly the oppressed women and the children of the slums who go to bed hungry and are deprived of elementary human rights to survive with dignity.

S.M. Rashed Ahmed
MANY of us have been writing and publicly expressing through the media and in the public gatherings organised by civil society fora of the high cost to the nation due to sustained government attempts at denigrating Prof. Yunus and weakening Grameen. These, unfortunately, have seriously harmed the image of Bangladesh judging by reports in the international media.
The latest accusations against Prof. Yunus of alleged tax evasion on overseas income; of not taking permission before receiving the honorariums, awards, royalties from foreign sources between 2005-2011, etc.; and clarifications by Yunus, legal experts and eminent citizens, have been widely covered by the media. Without going into details, it is felt that such issues did not warrant a cabinet meeting and decision, especially when the nation is in the grip of a crisis on holding of a free and fair election with the participation of all parties, which may imperil its development and progress unless resolved peacefully.
The decision of the government to place Grameen Bank under the control of the central bank is a regressive step and defies all logic. It is virtually nationalisation of one of our best performing banks in contrast to the poor performance of the government controlled banks.
The latest broadside against Yunus could not have come at a worse time for us. Yunus and eminent citizens and friends in the international community are making serious efforts to resolve the political impasse so that the general election is held through participation of all parties. This would enable Bangladesh to exploit its potential to the fullest and attract FD1 and support of development partners to overcome the challenges of poverty and development.
To achieve this goal we need domestic peace and stability; clean and stable government with a strong economy; a vigorous private sector fully supported by the government; rule of law; zero tolerance for corruption; highly efficient civil and police administration based on meritocracy; depoliticisation of all vital organs of the state and government including educational institutions; and a highly professional armed force for national defense to act as a bulwark against militancy and to overcome the challenges of manmade and natural disasters.
Concurrently, we need to adopt the doctrine of total mobilisation of the people, including compulsory military training, free universal primary education, technical education and excellent universities. This will impart a sense of discipline and order in the society and open up significant job opportunities for the youths. In the ultimate analysis, the best defense of a nation is an enlightened, educated and contended people, as Confucius said.
The inflow of yaba, phensidyl and other harmful intoxicants and proliferation of drug peddlers combined
with trafficking of women and children will eventually destroy the future of our youths and the nation, if those are not effectively curbed and eliminated with topmost urgency through exemplary punishments to the offenders.
Yunus' aim is to free Bangladesh from the clutches of poverty, and for empowerment of women and the youths. Following the success of his innovative microcredit programme and Grameen Bank, he has now embarked on his new concept of Social Business which is increasingly gaining worldwide acceptance, including in Bangladesh.
After the Rana Plaza tragedy, Yunus proposed an international minimum wage for garment workers to be worked out for each country separately. To concretise the proposal he jointly launched a garment industry transparency initiative (GITI) with Prof. Peter Eigen, founder of Transparency International. This timely initiative should significantly help RMG workers and the sector.
It is time for a national consensus to utilise Yunus' services for the
larger national interest. BNP and its allies, including a large segment of the influential members of the civil society, have expressed unequivocal support for Yunus. It is sincerely hoped that the PM will positively respond to the call for consensus. That will help overcome the national crisis. We can then collectively approach Yunus to assist in the resolution of the political crisis, thus paving the way for a peaceful and credible election.
We need to intensify international lobbying for the RMG sector, and work with our development partners to help overcome the critical challenges of water, energy, food, climate change, poverty and development. Economic diplomacy backed by public diplomacy, people to people contact and exchanges, trade, and attracting investments through easing visa restrictions within Saarc countries, Myanmar, China and the Asean should be the major thrust of our diplomacy. This will give concrete shape to the concept of connectivity and will bring progress and prosperity to all of us.
We need to act now; there is clearly a gathering storm in the horizon which, if it breaks out, will inflict unpredictable toll on the nation and its people.
Let us collectively lift Bangladesh from the gloom, despondency and despair surrounding us, and build a new Bangladesh which would embody the ideals of our Liberation War and fulfill the hopes and aspiration of the youths, the poor and the vulnerable, particularly the oppressed women and the children of the slums who go to bed hungry and are deprived of elementary human rights to survive with dignity.
The writer is a former UN Regional Administrator In Kosovo.
Email: rashed_ahmed2001@yahoo.com