Welcome 2020

2019 has been a bumpy year for the country as well as the AL government's third successive term's first year to power by securing victory in the 11th JS polls in 2018. In the eventful year, over 55, 000 Bangladeshi migrant workers were sent back from KSA and other Middle-Eastern countries, the Rohingya crisis took a new turn as The Gambia filed genocide case against Myanmar at UN Court.

However, despite several challenges the bigger picture is not all too bleak. From 44th position, Bangladesh has become the 39th largest economy in the world, in nominal terms and 29th largest, in terms of purchasing power parity. More to it, in the first quarter of 2019, Bangladesh was the world's seventh fastest growing economy with a rate of 7.3% real GDP annual growth. Also our prime minister has been bestowed with several international awards. But challenges remain. Particularly rule of law, unimaginable price hike of essential commodities and intolerable traffic jams in our cities yet remain some of the key unaddressed predicaments.

In domestic politics, it was a positive sign to have witnessed how the top brass of the ruling party came down heavily against corrupt and unethical Jubo League leaders. But curbing corruption from all the sectors will remain a mammoth task for the government in 2020. Moreover, it has once again been a year where the political oppositions have evidently failed to play constructive role in politics.

However, nine particular incidents had shocked the country in the past year, which are: Dengue outbreak, Cumilla truck accident, Chawkbazaar fire, FR Tower fire, Kalaura train accident, Brahmanbaria train collision, Sirajganj train accident, Keraniganj plastic factory fire, Gazipur and factory fire. We can surely expect from authorities concerned to try their best to deter all types of avoidable disasters in the New Year, and especially road & train accidents to factory fires. We do not wish to be witness to any more disasters but natural.
 
Last of all, with the arrival of 2020, although it may seem like a wish-list, we hope that the state and all those it encompasses will finally come to realise the importance of valuing human rights and freedom of speech of all individuals in society. With that in mind, we hope in the New Year, the series of unaddressed issues will come to disappear altogether.

 Happy New Year.