Dhaka, Oct. 25 -- One of the most remarkable stories of a nation's rise from rags to riches in the annals of humankind is that of Singapore. It started poor, at its nascence as an independent State, half a century ago. Since then has forged ahead in leaps and bounds, to transform itself from a third world to a first world country, within the life-time of a single generation. A key factor in this episode has been the hugely positive role of its leadership, the guidance imparted to the people by Lee Kuan Yew, and thereafter by his successors. Henry Kissinger had described this magnificent band as "cold blooded" in their analysis of the global environment. The response of a former Foreign Minister George Yeo was: "we had to be; having to scr...