Bangladesh way of democracy
THOUGH Bangalees shed so much blood and fought an independence war for nine months, with the hope for attaining economic and political freedom, they have not been able to enjoy it. We always see hurdles after hurdles that deprive them of true democracy. After their successful struggle against the military regime of President Ershad, it was expected that democracy was going to be established. Unfortunately, that did not happen because our major political parties could not come to a mutual understanding in establishing democracy in the country.
The country remained under democratic rule from 1991 to 2006, and we saw the emergence of two major parties, AL and BNP. These parties, unfortunately, did not try to bring competition in politics. Instead, they resorted to policies of confrontation, which proved detrimental to the development of democracy, particularly in establishing parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh.
After waiting for two years for an elected government we have regained democracy. The people of Bangladesh want to see a peaceful political scenario, and not a return of the confrontational politics that existed before 1/11.
It must be stated that our armed forces are in favour of setting up a democratic order. If the common men, armed forces, and civil society want democracy why should we again see confrontational politics which is causing so much suffering to our people and the country? We have, perhaps, no option but to point our fingers to some leading politicians who provoke political restlessness in the country.
On May 1 and 2, the AL and BNP held May Day meetings. Instead of speaking mainly on the welfare of the workers nationally and internationally, both the major parties tried to find faults in each other.
The BNP chief went to the extent of threatening to launch a movement to dislodge the government because, to her, this government has failed to fulfill its election pledges. This indicates its lack of patience and strong desire to go back to confrontational politics.
It is not correct to state that the AL-led government has not been able to fulfill its election commitments. On the contrary, the new government deserves credit for performing certain tasks, like reducing prices of food grains, edible oil, fertiliser and diesel oil, and introducing rationing system for RMG workers, processing the case relating to trial of war criminals, processing bilateral agreement with Russia for supply and installation of two 1000mw electricity generation plants, processing of case of Padma bridge, reopening of some closed government mills and factories for increasing employment, more vigorous effort to arrange employment for Bangladesh workers abroad, arranging implementation of recommendations of education commissions to upgrade the quality of primary education and declaration of economic package to face possible shocks of the global economic melt down on Bangladesh.
By holding street demonstrations to pressurise the government, the BNP ultimately wants to push the government towards confrontation. With her long experience as PM Begum Zia must understand that the achievements of Sheikh Hasina are not mean in anyway, and further improvement in quality and speed of her work may be seen soon with the possible reshuffling and expansion of the cabinet.
For a good evaluation of the new government's performance more time is necessary.
The new government has been able to overcome some initial hurdles. Even though we are passing through the greatest economic depression in history, the government is doing its utmost to absorb any serious jolt in future with assistance from multilateral and other donors. In fact, we see some movement in almost all sectors. Speed of work will increase with passage of time. We wish success of the government.
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