Raw anger and despair over public sufferings dominate our public discourse more often than a proper analysis of the actual issues affecting citizens and the remedies necessary.
The energy crisis, rising commodity prices, an alleged deterioration in law and order and traffic congestion in urban spaces are some of the burning issues of public life in Bangladesh today. Beyond these flashpoints, however, lie deeper, structural crises that escape the ordinary eyes.
We should publish a quarterly index of the specific crises that (may) cripple our country, society, and citizens -- similar to how environmentalists expose toxic fruits with the "Dirty Dozen" list.
Such an exercise might have helped the citizens to comprehend the challenges facing contemporary society and demand not just solutions but also accountability. A democratic government might have got rid of its hesitation in taking some actions and made political interventions.
A number of critical issues are inflicting hardship on the public as well as testing the resolve of the state authorities. Some of these challenges are so stark that no one can afford to play the ostrich, burying its head in the sand like the birds of the South African Kalahari.
We are familiar with the modern political regimes' bureaucratic tendency to deny or at least sidestep issues causing public suffering or popular anger, even though such evasion ultimately backfires. The fascist Hasina regime attempted to mask its failures and misrule by using rhetoric and brute force, assuming that it could sustain this facade indefinitely. It lasted, but only until the revolution of July 2024.
In resolving these issues, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman-led elected BNP government enjoys a distinct advantage. Most of the current crises were not created during his rule. Blessed with a strong electoral mandate and democratic legitimacy, his administration holds the authority to review and renegotiate the institutional arrangements, state policies, and domestic or foreign treaties inherited from the past regime.
The people of Bangladesh deserve to know the full extent of the plundering of national resources in the power sector, particularly how the electricity import agreement with Adani and contracts with local power producing oligarchs failed to protect public interests. Citizens will ask, and are perhaps already asking, why energy supply disruptions were less frequent during Hasina’s tenure. Amid energy supply disruptions caused by the Middle East war waged by America's Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, the government in Dhaka needs to put in place its contingency plans and alternative sources for imports of oil and gas.
The government may share with the people the reasons of uncertainty and law and order problems that naturally follow the collapse of a prolonged autocracy through revolution. It is also normal that a spate of sensational criminal incidents will erode public confidence and spark debates across social media.
Those in the corridors of power may grow weary of the criticism of inflation. However, if economic growth had yielded higher incomes for all and guaranteed social security, would the public outcry be the same? Wasted hours in gridlock defines the urban life, leaving passengers and drivers exhausted in a frustrating situation almost everyday. So, what is the strategy to break this deadlock?
When transforming Bangladesh into a trillion-dollar economy requires massive investment and public enthusiasm to work and attain prosperity, it's been a struggle to keep factories, businesses, and even agricultural activities operational.
Depositors, small investors, and ordinary taxpayers are now bearing the brunt of historical fraud and misgovernance within the banking and financial sectors. What is the remedy for this?
In the broader picture, one may see a classic vicious cycle of underdevelopment: financial constraints are blocking solutions to the energy crisis; fuel shortages are crippling industrial production; consequently, the business and export sectors are shrinking; in this climate, investment remains suppressed; and a resulting shortfall in revenue leaves the government without the capital needed for large-scale economic interventions.
Breaking such an impasse, in modern world, is the duty of any government — be it socialist, free-market, a democratic welfare state, or even an autocracy. At this juncture in history, that responsibility falls on the shoulders of the current BNP government.
The incumbents who assumed office with a clear popular mandate must carry the burden of high public expectations. Furthermore, the 2024 revolution has transformed public aspirations, bringing a new generation to the forefront as the country undergoes a historic transition.
We don't know yet how today's youth will react through democratic channels if they face unemployment or barriers to entrepreneurship. This generational gap could prove significant if we fail to address the crises accumulated over a decade and a half.
Some may argue that any breakthrough is impossible when social institutions fail to deliver; such arguments, however, remain abstract to ordinary citizens. Instead, the public asks a simpler question: who is responsible for their suffering, and why are solutions not being made?
Responsible political leadership does not evade the problems of the people. No matter how deep or vast the crisis may be, overcoming it demands sound state policies, a healthy political culture, and timely actions of prudent leadership.
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Khawaza Main Uddin is a journalist. He can be contacted at khawaza@gmail.com