General people and the economy in general needs a leadership from the head of state who should challenge the managers to produce result, instead of him acting like a manager.
It is really hard to assume a new role for a person who has not prepared for it and have been pushed into a role without much personal buildup. This is exactly what happened with the current head of state, Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed and his advisers. To be fair them, it should be recognized that these are not the roles that they have expected to assume and for most of them, at least, if not for all, these roles were kinda imposed upon them. So, it is only natural that they might need time to fit the shoe for which they volunteered for.
The people of Bangladesh, including us, has so far given them the time. A long one year.
It is time to take stock and see whether they are learning to be the leaders that is needed for which they volunteered for.
People of Bangladesh needs work – you have to provide them that. People of Bangladesh needs dream. They would not like to hear about your explanations, but they want result. And also, you will have to let some of your buerocrat friends go. There may be enough reason for you to be kritoggo to them, but you are no longer somebody who needs to take them into confidence. Its time you set your personal legacy. Return the immense faith the people of Bangladesh has put unto you!
It is possible to deliver some good economic result, albeit within the constraints you are in. But for that to happen, you have to act like leaders and let the managers to do the calculation. Being a leader is more than being financially shrewd. You have not shown that you have the material. We beleive that you can deliver, if you stop being the too catious a man that you have been during your whole life.
Challenge your managers to achieve impossible goals. Set those goals. You will be surprised how miracle happens when a nation is motivated. In your pre-1/11 career in Bangladesh, you have probably seen how managers goes beyond the stupid leaders who set no goals at all for the implementers as long as you let some of their projects go. However, you have not seen how could also be stressed beyond your imagination while you were BB Governor or PKSF MD. Try to act like leader of a nation, you will see how those can deliver more than you could imagine during your time! Beleive me, try it. So far, you have been running the country as a competent manager, just like a goody-boy son of an industrialist would run his fathers’ estate. Try to be an entreprener, who did not inherit an industry but builds a new dream out of nothing. All the good and great things have been built that way – if you look at the history.
Set a vision of the infrastructure need for Bangladesh that you think is necessary for the people in 2021. You do not have to design the whole thing. You do not have to come up with the details of every financial arrangement for that to happen. Tell the nation what they need to achieve what you want them to achieve by 2021. And tell them what you are intiating now. And inititate some of the dreams.
Take some big projects that creates job for the millions. You do not need to be reminded what others have done. If you need examples, you will find them in every successful nation. Look for examples what Japan, USA, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia and S. Korea have been doing for last 20-60 years. You will find ample examples. Do not copy them. You will have to adjust those to current day Bangladesh, including the recognition that we have started a year which is 2008, not 1960. But many of those 1940 or 1960 or 1980 projects might be relevant to current day Bangladesh.
If you or advisers are too old to dream such dreams, induct some from the new generation who will be managing the country beyond 2021. Induct 11 below-40 state advisers to help you guys. You will then find out how to dream the dream.
If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.
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