An open letter to the Prime Minister

Let me remind you, Madam Prime Minister, that the election manifesto of BNP and election campaign by yourself mentioned very categorically that law and order in the country would receive topmost priority and that you pledged to bring law and order under control if BNP was voted to power. Since the election of 2001, three years have elapsed, but the law and order situation has continuously been deteriorating beyond comprehension, as has been demonstrated in the recent violence and killings in Sylhet itself, apart from in the northern part of the country where it apparently appears that the government does not function in response to the oppression and random killings by Bangla Bhai. It is really a mystery to witness such a situation when the government in power remains unconcerned.

It is indeed amazing to witness the total failure of the present administration to arrest the violence and killings and bring criminals to justice. The assassination attempt on the British High Commissioner on May 21, 2004 and followed by the assassination of Shah Abu Mohammad Shamsul Kibria, former Finance Minister and distinguished international bureaucrat, who served the United Nations as Executive Secretary of Escap (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) in Bangkok with distinction. Escap is the regional commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. SAMS Kibria was nominated by President Ziaur Rahman on the recommendation of the Foreign Minister Mohammad Shamsul Haq for this coveted post at the United Nations. As Foreign Secretary under the BNP government of Ziaur Rahman SAMS Kibria undertook successful trips to South Asian countries to negotiate the concept of regional cooperation in South Asia floated by the President.

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Strategically, Bangladesh has no importance in international politics, but its natural resources like gas and oil evoke interest in the industrialized countries for obvious reasons. The comparing of Bangladesh with that of Taliban style of government means that it would have serious repercussion in the not too distant future. The article in the New York Times of January 23, 2005 is the beginning of that process. You might know that the attack on the World Trade Centers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC on September 11, 2001 resulted in a strategy of launching pre-emptive attacks, which has been carried out in Iraq without any evidence of weapon of mass destruction and provocation. This pre-emptive theory has been strengthened with another theory to "spread freedom and democracy" in different parts of the world.

Madam Prime Minister, you were elected by the people of Bangladesh to establish democratic norms and principles in the country. But it seems that the country is run autocratically. There is no voice of the opposition in the Parliament in spite of the undertaking to Jimmy Carter, former President of the US before the general election. Both you and the leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina (and immediate past Prime Minister) gave this undertaking to work in a democratic manner. Actually you are treading on a difficult path in history. It looks like the breaking down of the country. I am neither concerned about the BNP nor about the existence of Awami League, but I am concerned about the existence of my beloved country, which gave so much blood that no country has suffered like Bangladesh in living memory.

Madam Prime Minister, you have reached to a pinnacle of glory being twice the Prime Minister of the country. More or less the same is the case with Sheikh Hasina. You have nothing to lose or gain. Both of you should have considered

each other as fair political opponents who have in common the traumatic experience of the assassination of close members of the family. As of now, your politics and that of Sheikh Hasina did not bring any significant development in the country for which one can feel proud. During your tenure Bangladesh has been described as the number one corrupt country in the world. Unbridled corruption and total lawlessness have caused concern among the saner elements in the country. This being the situation in the country, there are two options remain open for resolving the existing problem in the greater interest of the country. Either you should consider resignation and handing over power to a caretaker administration or you shall have to rule the country pragmatically in democratic manner in consultation with all political parties to bring the law and order situation under total control. It is not a difficult task if you have strong will and passion for the country. Party politics should not remain above the country.

Secondly, all student fronts should be banned without any hesitation. Students should concentrate on education only. There is no option for them. Thirdly, all wayward parties like Bangla Bhai should be brought under the law immediately without any hesitation. Fourthly, Bangladesh should negotiate with India to tackle this crisis jointly without further delay. Thank you, Madam Prime Minister.

Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a former diplomat,resides in Virginia, USA.