While disapproving of opposition tactic of boycott of the parliament and giving ultimatums to oust the elected government, the issues the press took up with the prime minister's speech for severe criticism were a dysfunctional parliament hamstrung by political intolerance and repression of the opposition; insensitivity to criticism about an inordinately large and expensive cabinet, disabuse of the institution of the caretaker government by the 14th constitutional amendment providing for extension of retirement age of judges by two years to manipulate appointment of immediate past chief justice KM Hasan, loyal to BNP, as the chief adviser of the caretaker government; appointment of chief election commissioner with alleged background of BNP credentials and recruitment of BNP cadre activists as election officers to frustrate free and fair election; soft peddling the implementation of election pledge for the separation of judiciary from the executive, as a political ploy and leverage to bend the law to control and persecute the opposition in spite of Supreme Court directives and 12 extensions of time. The abuse of authority and the miscarriage of justice are displayed by presidential clemency to a BNP sympathiser convicted to death sentence for double murder; release of Moofti Hannan, convicted to life sentence for planting bomb at Kotalipara allegedly to kill Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina; 'cross fire' extra judicial killings of criminals by Rab and the police encounter and human rights violation; decline of law and order and grenade and serial bomb attacks killing scores of men and women including Ivy Rahman, SAMS Kibria and Ahsanullah Master; persecution of minorities including the Ahmadya community; failure to implement independent human rights commission; sleeze, graft and corruption involved in government purchases and tenders by 'alternative centre of power', ruling party law makers, bureaucrats, and also government ministers.

A disabled Independent Anti Corruption Commission stymied and stonewalled by non-cooperation from the government itself; politicisation of administration and every layer of society by appointments, promotions and postings regardless of merit and competence, dangerously dividing and polarising the nation; undermining the integrity of the High Court by appointing judges on political consideration allegedly without adequate qualification; fragile economy and price rise of essential commodities due to unbridled profiteering by dishonest hoarders and businessman and also ruling party toll collectors; unabated violence on women and indirect election to 45 reserved seats of women in the parliament contrary to demands for direct election by feminist advocates; indulgence in tacit patronage to militant Islamic extremists perhaps under implicit pressure from coalition partners giving rise to a spectre of grave insecurity and uncertainty in the country and a lackluster and lackadaisical foreign policy without direction, purpose and results do not give any credit to the administration.

If press is the reflection of public opinion, these indeed are disturbing concerns, shared not only by the people but also echoed by grassroots level BNP workers manifest in the meeting held in Dhaka recently. Government will do well to remember that its small indiscretions and impropriety of public morality add up to incremental diminution of its credibility. It is pointless to blame press for tarnishing the image of the country. Propaganda and publicity of government's achievements are no substitute for programme delivery and performance. It is foolish to shift the blame and imagine the whole world as our enemy, if the international press, human rights and other agencies describe Bangladesh as a haven of Islamic terrorists, as the most corrupt country, as one of the worst places for safety of journalists. It is we who are to blame. When the so-called Tuesday Group, the EU and the World Bank hold meetings in Dhaka, Brussels and Washington and pass resolutions to express concern about the failure of governance in Bangladesh, it is we who are to blame. The government cannot shirk its responsibility but must do some soul searching to see if the criticisms merit attention.

Yet, this is not what people expected from the BNP when they voted it to power. When people rejected Awami League and gave decisive victory to BNP with a massive mandate they wanted to see it perform better to improve the quality and condition of their lives in peace, harmony and happiness. It is unfortunate the government frittered the opportunity away with little sense of accountability and responsibility to the people and society. The government has become increasingly remote and alienated from the people who feel betrayed. There is a deep disenchantment and frustration in their mind.

People are bitter that the government in deference to its coalition partners has unwittingly thrown the country into the grip of Islamic terrorists. People are angry at the prevarication and confusion of messages of prime minister in failing to identify clearly the self-confessed JMJB, JMB and Harkatul Zihad terrorist detainees as the authors of grenade and serial bombings in the country and are critical of prime minister's innuendoes implicit in the remark 'whatever clothing they may wear, it is not difficult for Bangladeshi people to comprehend the motives and the instigators behind them,' implicating the Opposition Awami League, a familiar gimmick to divert the attention of people. People also dismiss Jamaat leader and Industries Minister Matiur Rahman Nizami's accusation of RAW involvement as absurd and highly motivated. The arrests have revealed that more than forty percent terrorist detainees are linked to Jamaat. It is high time the government got rid of the albatross in its neck, to redeem its legitimacy and deal with the menace of terrorists in the country.

The other challenge before the government is grinding poverty and economic hardship, misery and sufferings which stares the vast poor multitude in the face. Under the so-called globalised neo-liberal free market economy foisted by the West, insatiable greed and unabashed consumerism, the poor have been remorselessly pushed deeper and deeper in destitution and despair, exclusion and indignity and the rich have become filthy rich. Prime minister's remarks about the rise of purchasing power of people and modern supermarkets and apartment complexes 'built with cement, steel and glass' as a sign of economic growth and development are an affront to the intelligence of people. The remark is a mockery to Deepali of Kishoreganj, Halima of Nischintipur village in Jessore and Nabakumar Roy of Nilphamari who committed suicide because of starvation. The talk of rise of purchasing power of people does not mean anything to Monga affected famished people of Kurigram in north Bengal, haunted by fear of starvation, trekking to the city in quest of illusive jobs, food and shelter.

It seems the Prime Minister is simply kept out of touch with reality. This is dangerous for a popularly elected leader with a huge majority in the parliament. Her speech writers must be disingenuous not to know that the so-called GDP growth and development, which is highly skewed in favour of the five percent privileged few in the society, is devoid of distributive justice and is beyond the pale of the teeming million who stand and stare without access at the display of wealth and affluence at the expense of their criminal exploitation and denial. Yet this class of forgotten silent majority who are vitally important in determining the fate of election results never made mistakes in their audit of performance of their leaders in the past.

Abdul Hannan is a former press counsellor, Bangladesh UN Mission in New York.