I am very optimistic, but cautious, too, because I have had many disappointments since 1971. We have been shown many dreams, and have heard lofty promises, but all ended with new breeds of millionaires coming from nowhere.

But I must say there is a silver lining this time, which shows that the new leadership can and will deliver because if we miss the train then we are going to be washed out as a nation. We will be permanently lost as a nation in the civilized world.

There has been constant repetition and warning about the train getting derailed, and its consequences. The present caretaker government and the military, which is giving full support and aid to the civil government, are under heavy pressure to deliver a "governance to suit the need of the people" that had been impossible for the last 36 years.

Therefore, isn't it asking a bit too much from these people to deliver within a short span of time a system that has been unattainable for so long. It is very easy to be an "arm chair theoretician and administrator," but when it comes to facing the reality it is a different story.

Bangladesh, by nature, is a deltaic region which is being constantly washed away and rebuilt by the rivers that flow down from the Himalayas into the oceans. Just like the rivers, the people on their banks have learnt to live with this constant breaking and building by nature.

Each year, the mighty river washes away one side of the bank while rebuilding the other side with its deposit of rich alluvial soil. In one season the river can be roaring like an angry lion, and in the next it is calm and quiet like a cat. Similarly, the Bengalis have their emotional ups and downs.

Now is the time to decide how we can save ourselves. Each and every individual has to put in his or her effort to become an ideal citizen. Its not going to be easy for a nation that has been living in sin for over 3 decades to turn around, unless there is an all out effort by all of us.

The time to lecture others is over. We have reached a stage when we have even lost the right to reprimand our children for their wrongs, because we are transgressing moral grounds on a daily basis. We have become morally, socially, economically and politically bankrupt. But we have to convince ourselves to be perfect, and extricate ourselves from all wrong doings.

As they say, keep repeating a lie and everyone will be convinced that it is the truth. We are great at pointing fingers at others, and refusing to look at ourselves and being self-critical. We don't look at the mirror to see who we have really turned into. We refuse to look at our ugly "self" because that will ruin the party and the "good time" we seem to be having.

What we need to do now is begin our "back to basics" training within our homes. Making sure that we establish, and believe in, the basic "rule of law" in our own homes. We need to re-establish our relationship with our own families.

We must look at how we treat our family members, and the people who work for us as our domestic helpers. We have to see what we eat, what we read and what we teach our children. We must look around and see how our life style differs from those of the others, and if it is disproportionate then we must do something about it. We must learn to harness our greed.

We, as a nation, are very forgetful. We have not learnt from 1971, 1975, 1981, 1991, etcetera. We seem to be allergic to history, and refuse to know it in case we learn not to repeat the mistake. Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that the present government must make sure the cleansing process is continued in totality so that total reform is brought about, not just economically and politically but also socially.

A social change needs to be brought about, and this government can do it as part of a silent revolution which will bring about a total change to achieve the dream, which we had during the liberation war, of a "golden Bengal." They have the allegiance and support of the majority of the people who are also willing to make the sacrifices a "revolution" requires, and which will ultimately establish a society and a nation where the citizens can not only be proud but also have peace and happiness in their lifves.

The incredible stories of corruption and looting committed by the people who were in power through politics or otherwise seem to be the worst horror stories one can ever imagine. It is impossible to understand what level of immorality these people reached, to

The big question is, how we are going to stop ourselves from going back to that scenario again? Can we build shields and create systems which will make sure that no political party, businessman or individual can become so powerful that they begin to act like God and feel themselves to be above law. No one should be ever allowed to become so powerful that he can literally get away with murder(s). There must be transparency, and we must all be equal under the law of the land.

It is not going to be easy to achieve all that, because we have to get back to basics -- start from the very beginning. Bring about a change in our derailed moral values would need total transformation of our minds and souls. We need to have serious brainwashing done to purify ourselves.

To save our children we need to make sure that they are taught, in schools and homes, that the basic needs of a human being are education, love and moral dignity, not big cars, big houses, big bank accounts and holidays in foreign lands.

What I would like to say may shock many, but I think we should not go back to an electoral system in a hurry. Let us give enough time to the caretaker government and the armed forces to fix our home properly, before it is handed over to an elected government.

The reforms that the people want cannot be done within a short time. We are not just asking for the reform of the electoral system. We are asking for reforms of the political parties and systems, we are asking for bringing about transparency in our governance, we are asking for honesty in our business, government and politics. Most importantly, we are asking to be rid of the corruption that has engulfed us like a cancer.

We are asking for a revolutionary change, which requires a silent revolution that has been begun by the present régime. But I don't think it will take anything less than 5 to 10 years to carry out this long list of reforms successfully. Will we have patience for that long? That is the big question.

Akku Chowdhury is a freelance contributor to The Daily Star.