They also said children should be groomed from the early age and be imparted with knowledge, skill and positive attitude to provide a new web of leadership replacing the current trend of confrontational leadership.

Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in cooperation with Centre for Development Research, Bangladesh (CDRB) organised the seminar titled 'Governance: A New Paradigm in Politics' at RC Majumder Auditorium of Dhaka University yesterday.

Prof M Ataur Rahman conducted the seminar while Chairman of CDRB Dr Mizanur Rahman Shelley presented a keynote paper.

Shelley spoke of five components of good governance: state building, nation building, economy building, easy access to public offices and a free, strong and impartial judiciary.

So far our one and only achievement is our independence in 1971 and since then on we could make hardly any advancement compared to that of other nations on the globe, he added.

Pointing to the pervasive corruption in our country, he said common people are the victims of corruption while the educated office-bearers are perpetually engaged in breeding corruption. So a top-down reform is necessary to curb corruption in the country.

Prof Rahman said the crux of governance is that we have plethora of profound theories while our practices are faulty. We only have 'procedural part of democracy' while the substance is yet to be achieved.

He also said the aim of governance is to ensure individual freedom, peaceful coexistence and individual as well as collective development.

He said governance does not mean passive role of the governed, rather the responsibility is two-way and the people are to play an active role to ensure good governance.

Chairman of Peace and Conflict Studies Department Dr Dalim Chandra Barman, Chairman of Political Science of Dhaka University Prof AKM Shahidullah, Prof AKM Shamsul Huq and Azizur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.