The bound and blinkered advisers

The Honourable President was not keen to effectively display and demonstrate his chief advisory role. Since the principal functionary during the Caretaker dispensation is the chief adviser, it was only proper that the Chief Adviser's Office at Tejgaon gives the appearance of an operational outfit. In reality, the president-cum-chief advisor held office there on hardly two or three occasions and thus the sheer physical preeminence of the chief advisor's office did not materialise. Consequently, the council of advisers remained a disjointed and uncoordinated body. It was indeed difficult to communicate with a ceremonial and unresponsive Bangabhavan, the official residence of the President.

The deployment of armed forces personnel by the President against the counsel of the advisers has been the immediate cause of the resignation although there were some other areas of disagreement too. Such deployment is a major administrative decision and could not be described as routine affair as has been said by a few advisers who unfortunately do not realise its import and implications in our volatile polity. From experience this writer can say that there was considerable heated exchange between the President and the political parties over the time and manner of such deployment of armed forces during 2001 national election.

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The presence of armed forces personnel is expected to have a salutary effect on the over-all law and order situation and therefore, there may not be any serious reservation about the extra financial cost on account of unusually early deployment. Leaving aside that the important question that should engage the attention of all concerned is the writ and effectiveness of a civilian government. To be specific, have we reached a situation wherein the civil authority has failed to effectively manage the affairs of the State and called in the armed forces to take charge? If that be so, then there should be an explicit admission of that. This is so because the executive authority of the republic vests in the chief adviser during the Caretaker period. Therefore, the President is not expected to deploy the armed forces for domestic police work without the concurrence of the council of advisers. That the said concurrence is not there has been amply demonstrated.

Some of the continuing advisers have commented that major work has since been completed to ensure a free, fair and impartial election. This is not factually supported. It would appear that these advisers are painfully unaware of the gross anomalies in the voters list. One such anomaly is the media report regarding the absence of 5000 genuine voters in one particular area of the Dhaka metropolitan city where incidentally the acting Chief Election Commissioner is a resident. Such defects and deficiencies are being reported on a daily basis.

In fact, one of the resigning advisers has mentioned that from day one the importance of correct voters list was impressed upon but much headway could not be made to activate the Election Commission for taking corrective actions. It was only after serious external pressure of some very influential country coupled with political agitation and the presentation of credible statistics relating to defective voters list that the Election Commission started the long delayed correction work and that too in a perfunctory manner. Are such scenarios any indication of adequate preparation for holding a free, fair and impartial election? Concerned citizens have reasons to worry.

Another major area of concern relates to absence of demonstrable action with regard to apprehension of bad hats and the recovery of unauthorised firearms and ammunitions. The members of public do not feel assured from statements that characterise such activities as routine and ongoing. It is for any ordinary citizen to see that the conduction of a national election is not an easy transaction, and that sufficient and serious visible activities are necessary to instill public confidence about the holding of free, fair and impartial election. Nearly one and a half month has already elapsed but preventive actions are almost negligible. The law and order situation shall continue to be a thorny issue if present ground reality and past experience is any guide.

It is a manifest reality that in any group whether that is a family or a body corporate, all members are not gifted to participate and deliberate in equal measure. Our council of advisers is no exception, where some members have done the extra work for which they are suitably equipped and recognised. It must have been the response to a call from within. The way the resignations of the outgoing advisers have been looked upon by our development partners is an eloquent and poignant testimony to their unflinching devotion and uprightness.

Beyond the above unfortunate resignations what should worry the well-meaning citizen is the serious challenge now being posed to the concept of a neutral and nonpartisan Caretaker Government. Additionally, there is the uncertainty over the functioning of the interim administration. It appears that the acceptance of a very difficult assignment at a critical juncture and the admirable integrity and diligence to honour a constitutional obligation has gone in vain.

The immediate future seems to belong to the doomsayers rather than the cheer-mongers and the malady of degeneration of conscience seems prone to aggravation. However, if our basic freedoms are to survive it is vitally important that the constitution must not be seen as a structure of fossils like a coral reef that enables politicians to play the vicious game of power. The constitution is meant to hold the country together. In the recent event of transfer of political power, the letter of the constitution has somehow been satisfied but the sprit is buried deep.

In Bangladesh today too many individuals who are willing to compromise and temporise surround us. We have in our midst far too many "boneless wonders." With such men expediency is all. A person who has the courage not to submit or yield is like a rock in the wilderness of shifting sands. The nation need not feel dejected as such inspiring rocks are still there to lift us from the gathering consummation of ruin.

Muhammad Nurul Huda is a Daily Star columnist.