The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Apprising the world summit in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said a quiet social change is underway in Bangladesh to attain economic stability following his Government's socio-administrative reform measures.

He said the Caretaker Government has decided to talk to political parties to have a unified vision of democracy and political stability in Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh is a peaceful country-society must be inclusive in economic and political terms and sense of belonging must be generated for ensuring peace against extremism," the Chief Adviser said during a plenary session on "The quest of Peace and Stability" of the World Economic Forum at the Congress Centre in the Swiss city.

He said a quiet social change was underway in Bangladesh to attain economic stability through microcredit and non-formal education to address the issue of religious extremism and suicide bombings.

Fakhruddin, who was one of the five top-brass panellists, said the Caretaker Government caught extremist elements, opened suicide-bombing cases and punished the culprits.

"Not a single bullet was fired, not a single bomb went off during this government," he told the gathering of global leaders, adding that people want a change in Bangladesh. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Shibly were also on the panel. Dispelling misperception against his Government, Fakhruddin said the present Government is a constitutional Government with "a major aim to hold free, fair and credible elections".

The Chief Adviser, whose regime took office following a political crisis over the issue of general election, said as the election would be getting closer the state of emergency would be lifted allowing all political parties to take part in the polls.

Besides, the Government strengthened the local-Government system, which is important for sustaining democracy.

He said after assuming power, the government recast the Election Commission to prepare a credible voter list for fair polls. It also reformed the Anti-Corruption Commission, Public Service Commission and accomplished separation of the judiciary from the executive.

He also told the meet that Bangladesh has already achieved several Millennium Development Goals, designated by the United Nations for the least developed countries.

Meanwhile, The Daily Davos reported that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf nevertheless felt free to offer human-rights advice to a fellow regional leader in Davos.

His message to Bangladesh Chief Adviser (Prime Minister) Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed was "don't worry about the opposition and human rights'.

Fakhruddin Ahmed's Caretaker Government was installed last January by the army, shortly before elections were cancelled and emergency rules put in place to suppress protests from rival political parties. Human rights organisations say tens of thousands of Bangladeshis have been jailed and scores tortured to death or summarily executed.

"I think you are doing a great job," President Musharraf said while shaking Ahmed's hand in front of a reporter. "Carry on doing it no matter what anyone thinks, irrespective of human rights."

Musharraf asked that the audience not judge Pakistan "on the idealistic, maybe unrealistic, Western perceptions of democracy and human rights."