Ashraf’s Column

Friday, December 15, 2006

Can’t we get rid of this political joker?

Ershad has been hobnobbing with the BNP when it was in power. Exchange of visits by senior leaders from his JP and the BNP, and frequent statements by Ershad almost confirmed that his JP was joining the BNP-led 4-party alliance for the ensuing parliamentary election. Now we learn from media reports that he is planning to join the AL-led 14-party alliance. Yes, he has a small vote bank in his native district Rangpur, and might win 4 or 5 seats from there. Voters of these constituencies vote for Ershad’s party purely for parochial reasons, and not for any political reason. But should that fact give liberty to this political joker to play with two major political alliances? Is it not high time to dump this political joker into the dustbin of history, and let Shaheed Noor Hossain’s soul rest in peace?

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Dysfunctional democracy

After the fall of the autocratic regime of Ershad in 1990 there was no bar on our way to establish a viable democratic political system in Bangladesh. But since then our politicians have been continually failing to establish a pro-people democratic system in our country. What we are having now is an anti-people democracy. I call it anti-people democracy because it is a dysfunctional democracy. Instead of serving it is harming our people. Of course, theoretically speaking, it is ‘by the people’, But certainly, from our practical experience of the last 15 yeas, we cannot say it is ‘of the people’ and ‘for the people’. Rather it is of the politicians and for the politicians. And the politicians, being overwhelmingly corrupt and inefficient in number, are anti-people. No amount of crying, begging, cursing or cajoling to the present politicians to mend themselves is going to help the nation. They are not naive, and not unaware of what damage they are causing to the people and to the state. In the name of politics they are doing an unholy business. They will not do anything to change the system which brings huge amount of black money for themselves, which make them get away by doing anything, and which does not make them accountable to anyone, not even to their own conscience. Our Constitution has proved to be an inadequate and confusing document. It does not cover many constitutional issues which the nation faces today. On many issues its provisions can be interpreted in conflicting ways. Article 70 remains as an undesirable leash on the neck of an MP. Wicked politicians and lawyers are indulging in all sorts of anti-people activities by taking refuge under these weaknesses of the Constitution. Under the circumstances, it is only the people who can take initiative to set the things right. In all elections our people have been traditionally voting for a ‘marka’ (election symbol), and not for the man. The level of political awareness of our common people needs to be raised to understand this vicious game played by the politicians, so that, in future, they cast their votes in favour of a good man, and not for a’ marka’, to rewrite the Constitution to meet the challenges of the present day. All responsible citizens whose conscience is not mortgaged to a corrupt party boss, and the media, must voluntarily come out to politically educate the common voters so as to raise their political awareness. Otherwise, no amount of crying, begging, cursing or cajoling to the present politicians to mend their ways, as we are doing now, is going to help us. ‘Chora na soney dharmer kahini’ (black will take no other hue).

Thursday, December 07, 2006

The lawlessness at the highest

The whole nation was dumbfounded with shock and shame when on November 30 it found some of our very senior and learned lawyers conducting themselves in a way most unbecoming of a lawyer. Their acts of orgiastic violence will definitely put the street goons to shame. It is beyond one’s imagination that the lawyers, that too of the highest court of the country, can take law into their own hands inside the courtroom of the Chief Justice (CJ) of the country. If the order of the CJ, against which they protested, was illegal, I am sure there were provisions in law to file an appeal against that. If it was a lawful order, they only spat on their own face by behaving like that. By the by, are these lawyers above the law? If not, then why are they not being charged with contempt of court? Is that charge applicable to non-lawyers only?

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Sending CEC and EC on leave

CEC Justice MA Aziz has been sent on involuntary leave, as he is not acceptable to one of the two major feuding political alliances. This evening (04 December) one of the advisers to the caretaker government (CG), during a press briefing, hinted that two more ECs may be sent on involuntary leave for the same reason. These gentlemen, CEC and ECs, will be on leave when the Election Commission will be carrying out the most important of its functions, that is, holding of the next parliamentary election. From purely legal point of view there is nothing wrong with these gentlemen being on leave. But from moral point of view will these gentlemen be dong justice to the poor taxpayers of our country by drawing the salary and availing of other privileges, like government accommodation, telephone, personal staff etc for the period during which they will be on leave? Certainly not. It is most unfortunate that governments, one after another, including the current CG, have been appointing persons with so poor scruples and moral strength to these appointments for which scruples and moral strength are the primary qualifications. These are the people who are continually creating political problems for the nation. Why can’t they resign and leave the nation alone?