PR agency in US
Sanjoy Kumar Nath, Sundarkhali, Chittagong
Usually, I am a strong critic of the present government - that is my democratic right. But, I actually support the move to retain a public relations agency in the US. We must not be naive about the importance of having a favourable impression of our country in Washington and beyond, where it influences aid, trade contracts, and tourism. I am sure India must have employed PR agencies to get its front page cover stories in successive magazines and newspapers; and you see the result, India is now talked of as a success story in the eyes of Americans, when only 6 years ago there were sanctions imposed on them. Israel is another country known for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on its image in America; what we are spending is a fraction compared to that. I would rather spend the money on the PR firm than subsidise the lavish lifestyle of some of our overseas diplomats. Of course, we have to have substance to justify the positive image if we want that portrayed.My only concern is, the PR agency should be for the country and not the government or a particular political party. That should be clear. We should make sure this is not an attempt to manipulate the election which is a matter for Bangladeshis only to decide.
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