Those who can, do.

I am a pessimist. I would rather be right or be pleasantly surprised. Still I am fed up of the constant denunciation of the government and the state of the country. Everyone badmouths the system. but we forget that the system is made and run by us only. We all have 'chachas' and 'mamas' in important political, government, administrative and business positions. But things go on as they have been going, by the grace of Almighty Allah. No one wants to improve his own surrounding and always blames someone or the other. How are we all so helpless?!

I am thinking that we were lucky the liberation war took place when it did. If it were now, the guerilla forces may easily be named as terorists and NATO could come in on humanitarian grounds. Until 2008 Mandela and ANC party members were designated as terrorists. We are lucky that we did not have to fight the mightiest force like Vietnam did for 20 years. Had Pakistan been mightier, they could have suppressed  the insurgency like the United Kingdom suppressed the Irish. We are lucky that Sheikh Mujib was not killed before he achieved our independence, unlike say Omar Mukhtar.

That was then. Now the situation is almost unlivable. Infants visiting from abroad have not only their food but also drinking water brought into the country. Their parents seldom take them out of the house. Those who can afford it prefer to have their baby delivered in Bangkok. Think about what this says of our and our off-springs living standards. Most of us suffered the fall of the stock market and the comments of the finance minister were furiously nonsensical. Trying to control social media is pathetic, altough even USA is trying the SOPA. The traffic and the rising prices are the bane of the common people's daily life.

We now tend to look back fondly to the times of Ershad as the road infrastructure and foreign relations development period. Some even say that Tarique Zia for all his corruption would be a better leader as he knows how to run a party. I however beg to differ. If we want democracy, we have to put up with its loopholes too. The economic state we are in is not the result of the current government. It is the result of decades of instability and lack of proper long-term policies. It will take time to change those policies, implement  them and get a better outcome.

This is perhaps most transparent in the electricity situation. There was no new power generation for years and the efficiency of the existing plants also diminished while the demand increased. The AL government resorted to costly rental power plants for immediate needs while planning a long term solution, by nuclear power plant and also by partnership with neighboring states like Tripura.

I see that we are keeping a check and balance in our relationship with the two biggie brothers India and China. A deep sea port in Sonadia instead of Chittagong will be more beneficial for the latter. Trade with China has also increased considerably in the last couple of years. Bangladeshis has been given access to the Teen Bigha Corridor by India, and although much hyped during the Indian PMs visit, the NE transit is still is discussion as a barter for the Teesta water treaty. Its almost hard to believe that the demarcation of our borders was finalized only recently. Policies for water, coal, education are also being upgraded one by one. For the first time perhaps we host a grand international event, the opening ceremony of 2011 Cricket World Cup. Paypal has announced it will be in Bangladesh by 2012.

Whatever else Digital Bangladesh has or has not achieved, they have put up websites for all government institutions. Parjatan, Biman, Department of Immigration and Passports, and many if not all of them have reasonable websites with all forms and much information available online. If NBR can succeed in implementing online tax collection, it will end a long vicious circle.

The arts and music diaspora evolves better under a secular rule. We must have noticed that the band culture of the 90s did not continue to boom, and budding music artistes often disappeared after a few hits. We Dhakaites complain of no outdoor recreation except restaurants, but there are plenty of stage dramas, film shows, art exhibitions, music performances and even a weekly stand-up comedy show that we may chose to attend. And most of their information is published online too.

There are issues that we need to pressurize the government to resolve. The civil society and academia can and should draft a solution and campaign for it. The war crimes tribunal needs be completed justly and in time. The Hill Tracks peoples' have been suffering brutally at the hands of our own men. The tea-plantation workers are forced into a life of abject slavery. We could advocate for basic safety measures of garments and other factory workers. The administration and judiciary needs to be decentralized. Child labor is not cool, not in factories and not inside our houses. Taslima Nasreen should not feel threatened to live in her own country. BCB chairman should not be politically appointed. Lets not fall prey to issues that try to keep us otherwise occupied like Day Light Savings, forced retirement of Yunus or even Teesta water sharing policy which is not for laymen.

If we do not feel so chivalrous, busy as we are in this hectic city, we could at the least come together to improve the one thing that directly affects all of us - transport system inside Dhaka as well as within Bangladesh. We hear the government is bribed and pressured by private bus companies. Let us all come together demanding the best and quickest implementation of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) proposed by JICA. Every project has its cons and critics, the important thing is to draw a line at an optimum point and get something done. If Anna Hazare can revive India's Lokpal Bill, I am sure our intellectuals and activists can garner mass support for the MRT. I call upon the Zafar Iqbals and Anisul Haques to unitedly help us unite ourselves. The next campaign can be for an inter-city express train system. Given the small size of our country, Teknaf to Tetulia should be covered in 6 hours.

We cannot expect a radical change in our political leadership. It is not a matter of one party over another. We have to make do with the best we have. They will be inefficient like us and do some trial and many errors, because they are not posted on their technical competence. Democracy is the way it is. All I wish for us is the subjectivity to differentiate a whim from a cause. If we all take a single step to improve our immediate circumstances... this may well have a ripple effect.