Today, 8 September marks one month of the interim government taking charge. This government is the result of a bloody uprising of students and public. You can say that the government has come to power with mountainous responsibilities on its shoulder. One month is not enough time at all to validate how much could be done in proportion to that huge responsibility. However, what this government has done in the last one month is a good start filled with possibilities.
The autocracy of the last nearly 16 years has destroyed almost all the structures of the state. The law and order along with the judiciary system collapsed during this period, while the economy of the country went berserk from the lootings that continued under political patronage. After the fall of this dictatorship through the mass uprising of students and public, great hopes and enthusiasm have arisen among the people of build a democratic country free of discrimination by reforming the state and restructuring the economy.
This massive amount of expectations from the people of the country is actually a huge challenge for the interim government. Also it is impossible to make an evaluation of that within just one month. However we can see that the government has taken some notably positive steps in the past one month. It has become clear that the government is paying special attention to the financial sector.
Freeing the banks out of the grips of major loan defaulters and looting business cohorts, new board of directors have been formed. Measures are being taken against corruption. The scope to legitimise black money has been cancelled. Initiatives are being taken to bring back the laundered money. Plus, an enquiry and investigation committee has been formed to probe the irregularities and corruption in the capital market.
Meanwhile, an expert committee has been formed already to strengthen the structure of the healthcare system. Abolition of various black laws has been promised to ensure freedom of press. The government has started the process of discussion with the political parties. And the Instrument of Accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance has been signed, which will come in handy to thwart any such attempts in future.
However, a lot is left to do. The government on an emergency basis also has to take on the tough job of bringing order back in the educational institutions where there is a chaos going on right now because of politicization. You can say that the education system of the country is stuck in a maze. Meanwhile, there is a wave of positive participation among students in working towards the country and the society. Creating an educational system capable of bearing this enthusiasm is a major challenge as well.
Still there remain uncertainties in the law and order sector. Allegations of attempts to cause chaos in industrial areas and appearance of new extortionist groups in various places are being found. The police force could not be fully activated yet. Even though the process of reshuffle has started, it cannot be said that order has been completely restored in the administration. Plus, effective actions could not be taken to control the commodity price and against the syndicates controlling the market.
The people have brought about a change in exchange of sacrificing hundreds of lives. So, the aspiration of the public is also magnanimous. As citizens of Bangladesh, people of this country can demand for a dignified life irrespective of their caste, colour and class. So, the return that is owed to the students and the public for their sacrifices has to be given to them. Even the initiation of this work is also a huge task. An adequate amount of time is required for that. However, there should be preparations so that a lot of things can be done within a small amount of time.
The public wants to see visible changes. We believe the government has to take some solid and visible steps to gain public’s confidence. Only when the changes are visible, they will have the confidence to believe that the situation has started to change for real.