The same old story
Old habits die hard. Photo: Munir Uz Zaman/ Drik News
To see the AL replicating the actions of the BNP and the 4-party alliance makes us wonder whether our political leadership can really get out of the deeply ingrained mindset and display more prudence and wisdom, particularly insofar as it relates to government attitude towards the opposition and to some aspects of governance. As far as the attitude of the treasury towards the opposition is concerned we have a case of a promise not kept. One feels that the AL has lost a golden opportunity to reduce the hiatus, if not completely close the psychological gap, between it and its main rival the BNP, by backtracking on its commitment to offer the Deputy Speaker's post to the opposition. The argument offered by the AL is unconvincing, and it has lost much credibility in the eyes of the public. After all it was the AL that had offered the post on its own volition. Not to speak of the good example that would have been set in our parliamentary practice, the political mileage that would have accrued to the AL in the long run has been sacrificed by petty-minded short-term expediency. The offer to the opposition was unconditional, and the public cannot be faulted for thinking that there is a lack of sincerity on the part of the AL when it now says that the constitution would be amended to create a new vacancy to be filled in by the BNP nominee. It would have been very statesmanlike on the part of someone with a political pedigree as Sheikh Hasina to have kept her word -- but perhaps our political leaders are a long way from becoming statesmen. It is the same old story in the student front too. The Chaatra League is savouring the benefits of its close proximity to power after seven long years for they were in the receiving end during the 4-Party regime. In as many as in twenty major educational institutions we saw them go after their opponents, chasing them out of the halls of residence in an effort to regain their hold of the beat, so to speak. And it was the same old story of the ministers blaming the opposition rather than acknowledging the reality. It is the same old statement of vested quarters trying to destabilise the situation. So where is the change? As far as the administration is concerned, there is a transfer and OSD phobia prevailing among the bureaucrats. We have seen this happen in the past; with a new government taking over, there is nearly wholesale transfer not only at the top but also at very low levels of the administration. A great many of those that had held important posts during the previous regime become anathema, and are replaced by a set of officers who in their turn become "unwanted" when the next regime takes over. And it is no fault of the civil servants that they have to suffer the ignominy of being seen as belonging to one party or the other. As of yesterday, 72 civil servants were promoted to the rank of additional secretary -- reportedly, many among these were overlooked during the erstwhile BNP-Jamaat rule, but interestingly 64 have been superceded, ostensibly for being "beneficiaries" of the erstwhile regime. Already 23 officers have been made OSD. So where is the change? Regrettably, since 1991 the bureaucracy had been split in the middle between BNP and AL lines, and the civil servants, with a few dishonest exceptions, had no part in it. Reportedly, lobbying has already started for important posts, and many of those engaged in it are retired bureaucrats trying to exploit their affiliation with the party in power. Bureaucrats, both civil and military, are the servants of the Republic, and it is the government of the day that runs the affairs of the Republic. Nobody is a "state servant" but "government servant," and by serving the government, as is the bounden duty of all who chose to enter public service, one serves the Republic. Although there are a few who exploit their links with the party in power and derive undue benefits, like being promoted to the rank of secretary from the post of a deputy secretary in matter of a few months, one would like to think that the vast majority of the government servants serve the state and not the party. By all means, action must be taken against those responsible for dereliction of duty or for activities that have caused grievous harm to the state. But blanket postings convey the wrong message and sap their morale. Time has come for the government to retrieve the sense of pride in the public servants for them to work impartially and without fear or favour. We would like to see the bureaucracy free of political influence where posting and promotions would be done on merit and where serving in important and sensitive position in one regime doesn't become a demerit during the next.
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