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The constitutional crisis triggered by the suspicion of a biased election commission, if anything, has exposed fatal flaws in the provisions to ensure integrity of the electoral process. The on-leave Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), when in power, vested with the authority of holding free and fair elections, have had indeed subverted the mandate of his office. It is surprising that the constitutional experts appointed to draft the provisions overlooked these potential loopholes, let alone provide a system of check and balance against them.
   It is an understatement perhaps that the style of politics practised to deal with the issue was unhelpful and damaging to the non-political character of Bangladesh, which is remarkably ambitious, resilient, progressive and productive. The specific issue of the need to reform the Election Commission and to amend the faulty provisions of electoral process requires a different approach that must be unsparingly self-critical as opposed to ruinously self-righteous, and which is impeccably sincere in its spirit as it bows only to the dictates of equity and reason. Politicians must acknowledge, or may ignore at the peril of being rendered irrelevant, the maxim that the claims of legitimacy and their legacy, their overall quality as leaders, are commensurate to their political wisdom the measure of which is implicit in the way the country functions due to their decisions. The obverse requires no explanations: mutual distrust, blame mongering, shutdowns, loss of life and property and unseemly efforts of foreign mediation collectively speak volume.
   Given the bitter rivalry between the opposing parties, the suggestion may seem naive, but the CEC issue does represent a unique opportunity for them to break away from old habits. It should begin with the acceptance of responsibility for the respective acts of all parties that contributed to the alleged problem of a partial CEC, but more importantly they must address all weaknesses in the arrangement for electoral process and prescribe permanent remedies. From a layman’s perspective, the major issues would be the current system of appointment and removal of the CEC, unambiguous guidelines for preparing the voters’ list, the provision for public scrutiny and legal challenge, speedy disposition of bona fide objections, and final judicial ruling. Of course all else is moot unless the judiciary is made independent beyond the shadow of a doubt.
   A new approach in politics is long overdue and the entire country is desperately hoping for a change. After all, the purpose of politics and the essence of true leadership can only be providing guidance to a better future in the most efficient way. Politicians wishing to be remembered well by the posterity should find ways to a higher ground beneath which lies today’s desolate political landscape.
   Mashuk R Chowdhury
   Gulshan, Dhaka

Considering all the abuse and over-use of Earth’s resources, will this planet survive for, say, another 800 years? And if this planet itself doesn’t survive, how will all those different languages, cultures and religions of this planet survive? But, let us be optimistic and assume that before mother Earth gives up on us, our scientists and engineers will learn to build spaceships, discover habitable planets (or make planets habitable by terraforming, etc.) and the human race will continue! And in that context, 600 years in the future, imagine a Bengali spaceship — call it Bengal Intergalactic — a kilometre in length, a huge transport and a floating home in space. Everything inside the spaceship are Bengali e.g. bazaars, restaurants, sari shops, Bangladeshi plants, gardens, etc. Bengal Intergalactic is on a long flight to a distant planet, carrying a few thousand passengers, including a few hundred Bengalis. Aboard the ship, a gentleman called Misir Ali is travelling alone. He has no family, he is in his fifties. In his quarters there are two rooms, one bedroom and a lounge. It is evening (spaceship time!) and Misir Ali just walked in (he went out for something). Room-lights turned on automatically as he walked in. Few minutes later we see Misir Ali, in the lounge, lying on his sofa, reading a book (genuine paper books are rare and very expensive commodities in the 27th century, but Misir Ali has a few). As he reads, he suddenly feels like he wants to listen to music. He tells the computer to play from a Nazrul album. It slowly begins, ‘Etho jol o kajol chokey...’ Now, let me stop you there.
   Looking at the way Bangladesh is being destroyed, our education being downgraded, our culture being infected with bizarre concepts and our people being forced by some politicians to leave Bangladesh and settle in other countries; what are the chances that Bengali culture, Bangla language, or even Bengali people, will exist in 600 years time? Will Hasnahena bloom on a distant planet or aboard some spaceships? Would echoes of Nazrul Gheeti emanate from some quiet quarters of a spaceship, trillions of miles away from Earth, in some unexplored corners of a galaxy?
   Azad Miah
   Considering all the abuse and over-use of Earth’s resources, will this planet survive for, say, another 800 years? And if this planet itself doesn’t survive, how will all those different languages, cultures and religions of this planet survive? But, let us be optimistic and assume that before mother Earth gives up on us, our scientists and engineers will learn to build spaceships, discover habitable planets (or make planets habitable by terraforming, etc.) and the human race will continue! And in that context, 600 years in the future, imagine a Bengali spaceship — call it Bengal Intergalactic — a kilometre in length, a huge transport and a floating home in space. Everything inside the spaceship are Bengali e.g. bazaars, restaurants, sari shops, Bangladeshi plants, gardens, etc. Bengal Intergalactic is on a long flight to a distant planet, carrying a few thousand passengers, including a few hundred Bengalis. Aboard the ship, a gentleman called Misir Ali is travelling alone. He has no family, he is in his fifties. In his quarters there are two rooms, one bedroom and a lounge. It is evening (spaceship time!) and Misir Ali just walked in (he went out for something). Room-lights turned on automatically as he walked in. Few minutes later we see Misir Ali, in the lounge, lying on his sofa, reading a book (genuine paper books are rare and very expensive commodities in the 27th century, but Misir Ali has a few). As he reads, he suddenly feels like he wants to listen to music. He tells the computer to play from a Nazrul album. It slowly begins, ‘Etho jol o kajol chokey...’ Now, let me stop you there.
   Looking at the way Bangladesh is being destroyed, our education being downgraded, our culture being infected with bizarre concepts and our people being forced by some politicians to leave Bangladesh and settle in other countries; what are the chances that Bengali culture, Bangla language, or even Bengali people, will exist in 600 years time? Will Hasnahena bloom on a distant planet or aboard some spaceships? Would echoes of Nazrul Gheeti emanate from some quiet quarters of a spaceship, trillions of miles away from Earth, in some unexplored corners of a galaxy?
   Azad Miah
   Oldham, UK

The AL list of cancellation of 20 contractual appointments in the foreign ministry is just too sweeping. It involves foreign policy implications and is just not an issue of neutrality and fairness of the next elections. The list to be realistic should be more focused. As the country comes closer to election date, foreign ministry and some important missions will play crucial roles. The foreign secretary, the most blatant example of the BNP government’s favouritism, would not have made beyond being a joint secretary in his parent information cadre. He was brought to the foreign ministry as a lateral entrant during the BNP government in early 1980 and made foreign secretary above officers his seniors in service and more importantly with far superior credentials. He has already proved his loyalty to the BNP by continuing to be influenced by his mentor Morshed Khan and together with the ambassador in Washington Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury is busy bringing to Bangladesh US officials who are supportive of the BNP backed caretaker government.
   The high commissioner in London is another BNP guy who will also play a role similar to Shamsher and Hemayet Uddin and hence needs to be shown the door immediately. The high commissioner in Canada and the ambassador in London are two contractual ambassadors who fall in dangerous category looking towards cleansing the caretaker administration of the BNP leaning diplomats.
   Hence to be realistic, the AL’s list needs to be shortened but what is imperative is immediate action on this shortened list, particularly so far the foreign secretary, high commissioner in London, PR in New York and Geneva and ambassador in France are concerned. The ambassador in USA, though still in service which is a strange story in itself, should also be brought home for making Washington free of the BNP influence for he has left little doubt that he is active in this regard.
   Rashed Ahmed
   Gulshan, Dhaka