Desperation, despondency and deliverance

Our state structures have been autocratic, exploitative and repressive but we have failed to exert enough pressure for reforms and restructuring. Religious fanaticism, bigotry and militancy are on the increase and while the writ of the government may not run in some areas, our institutions are still strong, the present chaos and all the efforts to create an institutional vacuum notwithstanding. However, the almost vulgar life-style of the new rich and the stark disparities in income distribution are causes for concern. So when our middle classes talk about a revolution, they perhaps wish the emergence of a strong, competent, upright and ruthless leader who will purge the society of all corruption and punish the entire ruling class which has 'looted and plundered' the resources of the country without any compensation. But the big question is: from where will we bring such a leader? Nobody knows the answer.

The ominous desperation

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Lack of proper action at the appropriate time and mismanagement in the socioeconomic sphere have led us to a desperate situation where we have been compelled to extol the virtues of action whose legality is subject to question. The reference is to the activities of RAB (Rapid Action Battalion) with regard to deaths of suspects and accused persons in custody. The elite outfit has been created through legal enactment

but it has not operated in a strictly legal manner. The desperate acts of such outfit have been appreciated by citizens because the normal enforcement machinery could not assuage the fears of residents by timely action.

The complaints of the victims about the depredations of the criminals over the years, it would appear, fell on deaf ears and consequently remained unattended thereby giving rise to cynicism. As a result, we now have a situation where desperate acts of an apparently illegal dimension are not protested and condemned as vocally as it should be in a democratic polity. The worrisome question is: are we incapable of operating through the law?

Such worries assume significance when we see that the assistance of RAB is sought to control the prices of essential consumer items and is demanded to help realise utility bills of service bodies and licence fees of corporate body. In such an eventuality it would appear that ad hocism will reign supreme and that the public service is incapable of any long-term planning. In this scenario, as one goes down to district and local level one may find that the government hardly exists.

The desperation in the law enforcement can be countered in several ways. One such way is major reforms in police force. Control has to be established over its activities. It must not be used by government to harass and victimise its opponents. Recruitments, transfers and positing must not be done on political grounds. The role of police has to be redefined, its size rationalised and many of its functions assigned to private agencies. Laws giving unlimited powers to the police need to be re-examined because some of them may be irrelevant today. In places citizens' committees may be appointed to oversee the working of police.

Debilitating despondency

Many of us have perhaps unwittingly become the harbingers of a culture of despair which, over period of time, has become all-pervasive. This culture is marked by striking features of continuous squandering of resources and opportunities by the elite thereby forcing us to slide back into a poor, corrupt, intolerant and misgoverned country. Added to that is the indifference, apathy and inaction of our educated and middle classes and their lack of faith in the future. State authority has weakened and the institutional vacuum has been filled by mafias, armed militants and the informal sector operators. Whatever may be the case, we have to know the true nature of our crisis. Is it a crisis of the people or of the state? Why are a majority of our people poor? Have we been able to attack the heartland of mass poverty? A large part of our population is still living below the poverty line. Therefore, should not we evolve a strategy for sustainable development based on indigenous resources? Some say that dependence on easy money has destroyed our initiative for innovation and creativity.

There are many examples which show lack of vision on the part of our planners and politicians. Urban unrest is taken merely as a law and order problem and treated as such. Instead of changing the colonial police-structure and stopping its use as a political arm of the government, an answer is sought in creating 'elite' forces or increasing the number of police personnel. Similarly, instead of analysing the factors responsible for our low literacy rate or changing the flawed process of setting up new schools without ensuring their proper functioning, we are embarking on new ambitious schemes. Therefore, if the country has to find solutions to its myriad problems, we will have to find visionaries who can guide us in different spheres of life. Based on their recommendations, we can have a broad conceptual framework for our future development.

Much needed deliverance

The above mentioned vision has to be followed by long-term and consistent policies and plans of action in socio-economic field. The need is for a professional team with requisite powers to ensure economic management on the basis of best available research. The institutional crisis of state authority has to be resolved effectively. We have to realise that the real threat to our polity lies in our deeply troubled economy, the prevailing system of governance and the poor indices in the social sectors, especially in the education system. We have to make intelligent choices. We must examine how the dependency syndrome has resulted in the bypassing of the people's potential of paying the capital cost of development projects, particularly in the social sectors and also the user's charges. We also have to take very strong actions to control corruption following the easy money that flies in with foreign assistance.

We may put the entire blame for most of our problems on politicians and government servants. However, the civil society has not set high standards of morality, simplicity and hard work. It has to be remembered that without checks and balances most governments tend to be corrupt and unresponsive. There is still a lot of apathy and indifference towards addressing the problems of civil society and it is only recently that we see some awareness of these issues.

Bangladesh's single most important crisis is a moral one. Our privileged class as well as the middle classes have developed highly acquisitive instincts. They are virtually greedy to the core. Apparently religious, many of them hardly ever practice the frugality, simplicity and integrity enjoined by religion. The idealists have vanished from our society and politics has turned into a game of power, pelf and privilege. We need committed and selfless people who are ready to take up causes. We need physicians who are willing to see what is happening outside their clinics, teachers who take classes in right earnest, writers and journalists who are not desirous of instant recognition, lawyers who are not oblivious of the litigant's misery and brilliant engineers and architects who are conscious of the deteriorating condition of the megapolis.

No society can make progress without idealists and dreamers. In desperation, we have started looking for people for whom money is not everything. We have reached a stage where without a fundamental change in the nature of political power, mode of governance and the very basis and direction of the state itself our socio-economic crisis can not be overcome. We need institutional decision making which can respond to objective economic logic and accept the urgency for reactivity and innovation. For that the establishment has to take bold decisions. In order to do that we do not need heroes any more nor do we need charismatic leaders.

Bangladeshis are a very patient people. They do not have high aspirations nor do they make heavy demands on their leaders. They want only reasonably honest and down-to-earth leadership. They do not even demand high moral standards from their leaders. They are broad-minded enough to put up with their leaders idiosyncrasies and weaknesses, provided they deliver. The need of the hour is a management system and a team of good managers in every walk of life.

Muhammad Nurul Huda is former Inspector General of Police and Secretary to the government.