Accommodating the reformists
NO doubt credit goes to AL chief, who was able to submit an amended and approved constitution of the party to the Election Commission in time. It is also a milestone in the history of AL, which completed the council session without hassle. The activists of AL were immensely delighted and inspired by her statement, "friendship and no retaliation," in the council meeting that. This has given a new direction to our political culture.
In constituting the new cabinet the AL chief came up with a surprise. For the first time in the parliamentary history of Bangladesh, we have many new young faces in the cabinet. She showed courage by offering two very sensitive portfolios to women, home affairs to Sahara Khatun and foreign affairs to Dr. Dipu Moni. To our satisfaction, they have performed well, though Sahara Khatun had to face the extremely tense situation of the Pillkhana carnage, and Dr. Dipu Moni faced the issue of Tipaimukh Dam.
In any situation there is always room for improvement. Choosing the right person for the right place is a pretty difficult task, particularly in the situation created after 1/11 and the setting up of an unconstitutional caretaker government, which appears to have spared no pains to weaken top politicians, if not to destroy them. All its tricks and strategies failed because the people of Bangladesh love democracy. Bangladeshis surely fought the War of Independence for achieving nothing less than democracy.
During the war, some people cooperated with the Pakistani military government because of their faith in the strength of the Pakistan army. They even formed a faction named Pakistan Democratic Movement to assist the army. They were led by some politicians who did not have faith in the strength of the people. Similarly, some veteran politicians of our major political parties started dreaming of reforming the parties without leadership of the two ladies, who were incarcerated by the CTG to keep them out of touch with their respective parties. These veterans cooperated with the CTG to avoid arrest and harassment.
There is some controversy over the need for Razzaque, Amu, Tofail, Suranjit and Abdul Jalil to explain their conduct during emergency. Some AL supporters feel that these members have been punished twice; by not being included in the cabinet and by being discarded from the presidium.
The misguided politicians of AL have been tackled well by Sheikh Hasina. By allowing nomination to these veterans she was able to avoid a crisis in political leadership, and by not including them in the cabinet she could accommodate and encourage the younger members of the party. She discarded the veterans from the presidium to avoid any possible conflict, making the body more dynamic. However, veterans have been appointed as advisers to assist her administration whenever necessary.
In a democratic party, members can have differences of opinion. But if any member works against the interest of the chief there can be no reason for allowing him to retain his position. Sheikh Hasina could have followed the example of the Nehru Commission (1942), which recommended that rebellious congressmen explain their conduct -- and failure to do so was punishable by expulsion from the party. She did not opt for such a strong measure. Instead, she preferred to utilise the experience of the veterans. This shows her political maturity.
The process of reform is a virtually unending one. She has realised that she is aging. As such, it is high time for the AL high command to find really capable leaders to guide the party ably and effectively. Some political analysts feel that by allowing domination of younger leaders the AL chief has taken a great risk. No risk, no gain. We hope that the new leaders will prove their worth soon. What is most important is their dedication and loyalty to the chief in assisting her achieving her vision 2021.
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