There is much to be learned from the surveys that have been done over the past year. But is anyone, especially the political parties, listening?
The recent Innovision poll provides a very good snapshot of the political state of play with less than 6 months to go before elections
Nearly nine out of ten respondents support the February election timing, nearly seven out of ten believe the Interim Government will deliver it, and over nine out of ten say that they will vote.
A one-year assessment on the government’s performance would find it has performed adequately, and the country is firmly on the road towards democracy
For all the talk about reforms, as far as the economy is concerned, Professor Yunus and his cabinet have behaved explicitly like a transitory administration. How do we make up for the past losses? That is something for the elected government to figure out.
Orthodox macroeconomic policies are having desired effects, with the exchange rate and the central bank’s stock of reserves stabilizing even as import restrictions have been lifted. Higher interest rates have had a dampening effect on economic activities, but very strong remittances have supported household consumption, while exports and public demand also contributed to growth. The economic recovery had started by summer, though pockets of weakness remain, particularly in private investment consumption.
The time has come for Tarique Rahman to exercise leadership and guide his party through the reform process. Leaving it to local leaders threatens to put BNP on the wrong side of history.
An Upper House based on proportional representation would be the single most valuable reform that all sides could agree to that could truly make a difference to the Bangladeshi body politic. The BNP should take that deal.
From Day One, the interim government has been dogged by its inability to explain its decisions to the general public. But it is still not too late to change course, and not only its legacy but also the sustainability of good governance post-elections depend on it.
Now that Hasina is gone, it is time we explore these deep fissures in our formative years, not just through political thrillers, but also serious, scholarly enquiries.
Everything you wanted to know about a proportional representation-based upper house and were afraid to ask
Professor Yunus needs to be more transparent and accountable about foreign liaisons
An appeal to fellow 40-plus folks to wake up from selfish slumber and join our kids
