It's time to act

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed all ministries to expedite their work, saying that her government's "honeymoon period is over after being in power for nearly two years".
She said the people will want to see output, and will evaluate the government critically in the remaining three years of its tenure.
Chairing a weekly cabinet meeting in Bangladesh Secretariat, the premier also cautioned all her cabinet colleagues about possible subversive acts in the country, and asked them to remain actively alert, rather than depending only on intelligence agencies for information.
Sheikh Hasina, who is also the president of ruling Awami League (AL), expressed dissatisfaction over poor performance of some ministries, and directed them to pay more attention to work, according to cabinet sources.
She said she has information that some ministries are not performing as expected. Expressing her disappointment she added that the government's development works are not being reviewed on a monthly basis by some ministries.
"It must not go on, as the government will have to be accountable to the people for every step in the coming years. People will judge the government very critically, and will want output in every step. So I urge all of you to expedite development works," she was quoted by a minister as saying to her cabinet colleagues.
"The time for getting easy praise is over. Now we will have to face difficulties in every step of moving forward. Our government's success or failure will depend on the actions we take in the remaining three years," she said adding that every minister should keep the matter in mind and work accordingly.
A power-point presentation of the government's 2009-10 fiscal year's activities was displayed to the cabinet, and the prime minister expressed her satisfaction regarding the overall progress of development activities.
She expressed satisfaction about the last fiscal year's agricultural production, import and export, advancement in education, improvement in law and order, and other development indicators, Prime Ministers' Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the meeting.
As some ministers said reports from their ministries were not properly included in the presentation, the prime minister gave them 15 more days to complete the reports.
"SABOTAGE"
Terming the recent incident of fire at Hameem Group's factory that killed at least 28 garment workers, and recovery of a huge cache of bullets in Sherpur border area as "acts of sabotage", the prime minister said more of "such subversive activities" might be carried out in the coming days, which will test the government's mettle.
The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to examine whether traces of gunpowder could be found among the causes of the fire in Hameem's factory. If the fire was caused by a short-circuit, then it would not spread so quickly, she said.
As the owner of the factory, Abul Kalam Azad, also the president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, had spoken against hartals recently, some vested quarter might have retaliated against him through carrying out an arson attack on his factory, she added.
She directed ministers and state ministers to remain alert in their constituencies along with the constituents in a bid to foil any "conspiracy".
The premier hinted that war criminals, Jamaat-e-Islami, militants, and recently arrested BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's followers might resort to acts of sabotage to destabilise the country in an effort to hamper trials of war criminals.
One of the ministers said the militants are trying to destabilise the country in an effort to capture state power, and the people of all walks of life should remain alert about the ominous plot.
Hasina directed AL leaders and activists not to bring out anti-hartal processions on December 26, when BNP-Jamaat backed Sammilito Ulema Mashayek Parishad Chairman Muhiuddin Khan called a hartal.
"Don't bring out anti-hartal marches and don't take to the streets to resist the pro-hartal supporters. If the hartal supporters violate law and order, the law enforcement agencies will take action," she said.