Editorial
After Awami League's massive mandate
Early positive signals vital
Not since the mandate given to Bangabandhu in the 1973 election has the AL been handed such a resounding victory by the people of Bangladesh. We congratulate Sheikh Hasina and her grand alliance on their exceptional success. Massive victory imposes massive responsibility, and needless to say, the colossal victory has imposed a huge burden of responsibility on the victors, particularly Sheikh Hasina.
Notwithstanding the BNP's complaints regarding anomalies in several constituencies, from all reports available with us one can say that the election has been free, fair and transparent. As such we feel that Begum Zia should accept the verdict of the people. Any attempt to paint a different picture would not be credible to the people. Begum Zia can set a new trend in our political culture by congratulating her opponent Sheikh Hasina for her party's unprecedented win.
We feel that the tone of the grand alliance's words and deeds in the next few days, particularly Hasina's, will set the tenor for future relationship between a party that has suffered a shocking defeat and a party in which the people have overwhelmingly reposed their trust. An analogy with Barack Obama's action during his campaign and after his victory may be in order here, particularly because he continues to stun the world by his efforts to be inclusive by the choice of his team and his policy projection.
Given that the party hierarchy of the AL is dependent on its leader for vital decisions one can only appreciate the burden Hasina will have to shoulder in the next few days in sending out the correct message to the people, which will carry extraordinary meanings for all. In this regard one can say that a positive message was sent out last night by Hasina when she called upon her party and grand alliance supporters not to bring out victory processions until the results were finally and officially declared. But Chhatra League's attempt reportedly to bring a residential hall of Dhaka University under their 'control' last night is exactly the kind of behaviour that must be put down with a heavy hand.
It would be well for Sheikh Hasina to keep in mind the fact that she is not the prime minister of the grand alliance but the leader of all, which includes those that have voted for her opponents. It should not be lost on her or her advisors that she represents all and thus the onus of uniting the country is squarely upon her. In this regard we cannot agree more with the post-victory comments of a senior AL political leader, AMA Muhith, on the need for change in the political culture. We believe that the time for change is now.
Some might argue that the vote has united the nation by casting the opposition to the fringes. This, we feel, would be a dangerous position to take. It will be well for the winning coalition to look not at the number of seats won by the opposition but at the votes they have got in total. This was the mistake that the BNP made in 2001, a mistake that the AL would do well not to repeat.
Begum Zia, as the leader of the opposition, should be assured of all the deference and respect, including even enhancing the position of the leader of opposition in the order of precedence to number two. As for Begum Zia, she should not forget that only a responsible and active opposition can make democracy meaningful.
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