ISAS Briefs

In the face of a political crisis, a caretaker government took over control in Bangladesh on 12 January 2007, giving the people the hope of a new dawn. After one year, however, instead of celebrations, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed-led interim cabinet has found itself in the midst of a series of problems, if not crises. Just before the first anniversary of the government, half of its advisers had to leave office due to poor performance and public dissatisfaction. The skyrocketing of prices of essentials has also affected the popularity of the government. The common people in Bangladesh now think that the country's economic outlook and political prospects are no better, if not worse, than those during the so-called democratic governments.