Editorial
Irresponsible utterances hitting a new low
Politics must return to old values
It is a sad commentary on politics when seemingly responsible political leaders in Bangladesh end up making rather irresponsible utterances. For far too long, politicians who should have respected one another despite all their differences have gone on questioning one another's integrity and even patriotism. One of the latest instances of that is BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's accusation that the ruling Awami League is not only mismanaging things but is also engaged in a conspiracy to change the map of the country. That clearly is a grave charge to be laid at the door of any government. Again, it is one which the BNP chief, who has been prime minister twice, has not backed up with evidence. She has not specified in what manner the map of Bangladesh will likely change under the present political dispensation. If she was playing to the gallery, she did it in bad taste.
As if that were not enough of a cause for worry for citizens, a leading Awami League figure, its general secretary and LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam has now hit back in like manner. To respond to criticism is fair enough, but to go vitriolic in an equally deplorable way is something else. To Begum Zia's prediction that the present government will not last in power for a full term and that new elections will become necessary, Ashraf has made it clear that the BNP chief's remark is anti-state. That is most unfortunate, given that in politics it is only normal for those opposed to the government to demand mid-term or snap elections. Whether such a demand is justified is beside the point. The fact is that a politician has the right to make it. To berate him or her by charging him or her with what amounts to treason is absolutely unacceptable. It is indeed a sign of political immaturity that disagreement with a government is easily confused with acts against the state. It has been happening for years. One could now ask the LGRD minister how he would respond if he were to be asked on what ground his party a few years ago threatened to bring down an elected BNP government by a certain date, in this case 30 April.
We deprecate the attitudes demonstrated by Begum Zia and Syed Ashraful Islam. Such acrimony and lack of mutual respect among our politicians has for years stymied our progress to meaningful democracy and concrete economic progress. It is not just tragic that such a mindset is yet to change. It is also laughable that individuals of their stature should resort to such gimmicks as a way of gaining mileage in politics.
Let politics graduate to the high calling it by definition is. We are a people who have achieved much in the past owing to the principled politics pursued by men we regard as our icons today. Unless we return to the values that underlined national politics in earlier years, we will keep going round in circles. Governance will be the casualty.
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