Action, not assurance

While addressing a gathering of expatriate Bangladeshis in New York recently, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured the countrymen saying that her government would not do anything that harms the interest of the country. It is understood that a democratically elected government in all circumstances is oath bound to safeguard its country's interests.
Politicians while campaigning before elections give lots of assurances and make many promises to woo the voters and win. Getting elected some fulfil those promises some do not, because making and keeping promises are two different matters. Mario Cuomo , former Governor of the State of New York, an orator par excellence expressed it eloquently by saying: We campaign in poetry and govern in prose.
Dr Monmohan Singh after becoming Prime Minister of India for the first time said, “I am in the business of keeping promises not making them, ” while answering a journalist. Dr Singh realized very well the implications of keeping promises and understood well what was expected of him and his government, thus he steered the country in that direction which brought a second consecutive victory for his party and the alliance.
In Bangladesh for the last twenty years democratic governments are in power barring short hiccups. But no political party or alliance has been re-elected back to back, a pattern which shows the repeated failure of incumbency.
The present government has come to power with a resounding victory by making lots of promises. From the promised Digital Bangladesh to Trial of War Criminals, the current issues like Tipaimukh dam, BDR carnage, gas export, connecting to Asian Highway, are all very important matters and needed to be addressed as soon as possible. Otherwise, the promises made will be deemed hollow rhetoric and repeated assurances will be taken as mere lip service. At the end of their term, people will judge this government by their good deeds and the misdeeds.