Marches of discontent
Yet another season of road march is coming to an end, a fair season of political grandstanding to be more precise.
But the mutual political bickering has been in and out of season; sadly with no end in sight anytime soon; likely it will get even worse in the months to come. Normally, in a two-party system as is the case of Bangladesh, the contest remains largely at the level of party propaganda, debates in parliament, and in mid-term or by-elections. Yet the Bangladesh public is a captive witness to intense parochial propaganda punctuated by extreme verbal duels, seldom with sophisticated discourse on issues that matter to the nation and country. Truth be told, the people who are also the electorate in a democracy are the sufferers. Theirs is to march and not ask why.
That said, there is nothing wrong though not everything is right with the people; they toil hard on the land, in farms and factories, in services and movement of goods and persons. They keep things going in spite of all hurdles on the way. If and when some prosper, that is not because but in spite of those who rule them and the games they play. The people of this country make so few and so small demands of their government. They are to be congratulated.
Alas! It is the political culture that has been rotting for quite sometime; rotting to the core and is now stinking. It is a great disservice to the young nation and threat to the young democracy. Addicted to extravagant ceremonies, when eulogised or adored by sycophants the leaders purr like pampered kittens; when patted on the back by polite foreign dignitaries they are utterly pleased. But when taken to task they rage and rant in fury. Many love to find a conspiracy preferably of foreign origin behind every bush crisis or debacle. How very convenient!
Tolerance and moderation are anathema; rising above narrow party or self-interest is seen as weakness. Compromise is considered humiliation. These may sound harsh or cynical yet have to be said though in pain and anguish. No, the citizens deserve better, much better than what they are served.
Take for example the ‘long-march’ which became a spectacle and we have had spectacles more than our share or necessary; soon to be outdone by the rival party with yet more huge display. This competition is misplaced and entirely wasteful use of scarce resources better used for other purpose and elsewhere.
Look at the fallout. With disregard to public accountability, several thousand people (many journeying from outside the capital) were hauled up in jails with or without charges, leaving anxious parents pleading for information, on their fate and release. What were the charges; where was the legal protection offered or available? Long March met repression and violation of citizens’ rights; ended in misery for many stranded hapless thousands, made little impression, achieved even less other than angry speeches. ‘Long-march’ as a political tool is out of date and even counterproductive.
There is no revolutionary ideology to march for, mass mobilisation becomes a contest between those who wish to get bigger crowd and who are determined to reduce the size of crowd; this competition to show strength is misdirected and off target. It is doubtful if this is the best way to make a political point or maintain ‘law and order’. Can this country afford such extravagance and provocation to public rights?
Over the past years, people have become confused, puzzled, and are getting less trusting of the political process; many are losing trust in elections. Well-intentioned well wishers of Bangladesh are anxious. Yet those who should have known first are the last to take notice; so much consumed are they with the quest for power and not patient with the process of democracy.
What is far more important is the best practice electoral contest that is ‘reasonably’ fair, free, and transparent as best as an independent election commission can deliver. Not a perfect recipe but one worth persevering with. Why? Simply because when you build and nurture strong electoral institutions (just as with judiciary and many others), you make the future of democracy strong and secure; also demonstrate the virtue and eventual victory of patience. There is one thing to march for and march together. March towards undoubtedly worthy goals: education and literacy, work and employment, adequate food, health, and sanitation; and rule of law for all, to name a few. Democracy is an asset as well as a burden; never had been a short cut to electoral mandate to rule; with all its warts and stains, where and what is there as a better alternative? We had lost democracy but fortunately recovered the stolen goods; let us not lose it again by careless or reckless conduct. Indeed, some of these are clichés, but still not empty or perfunctory. Even ‘clichés’ (something to aspire to) might be better than ‘clashes’ of personalities resulting in political damage, if not bankruptcy. Power grab has its temptation but democracy puts a high premium on legitimate means and established norms to that end.
The world has become knowledge based and highly competitive; the fittest will survive in prosperity and dignity. Politics too can and should be based on knowledge, guided by rational discourse; the colonial times are long past, and politics of violence is not compatible with democracy. Freedom, progress or prosperity under the Constitution is precisely the things that the nation made huge sacrifice for. Let us not fritter away the opportunities lightly or thoughtlessly. History shall not forgive and no bleating for mercy will come to the rescue.
Zakir Husain
Dhaka
Arrests and sufferings
We have been playing fools in almost every sphere of life. The furore over the long-march by the 14-party alliance led by AL was shaped on a devastating scale. Random arrests of the common people by the police prior to the long march created havoc in our social life. Thousands of innocent people were illegally put in prison in an unlawful manner and in a situation, as it appears, much akin to that of a pre-war phenomenon.
The scenes at the jail gate were really horrendous and pathetic. Thousands of men and women gathered in front of the jail gate waiting for their relatives to be released from the prison – waiting hour after hour. They were insulted and humiliated by the police. They were mistreated, harassed and exploited. At least that’s what the media reported — both electronic and print. It was an unbearable sight to watch on TV —thousands of men and women crying and accusing the police of the unprecedented tortures and sufferings being inflicted on them. Some complained that the police had been charging money from people to provide them with information regarding their relatives. At times, the police lured people into a false sense of hope regarding the release of their kith and kin. There were quite a lot of people outside the jail gate waiting for their only serving /earning men of their families detained in prison due to the blanket arrest.
The sensible points made by the High Court in its warning the government not to violate the prevalent laws in the country is appreciable. Unfortunate is the fact that government blatantly denied the charge, saying that it wasn’t responsible for any such mass arrest — a ridiculous and absurd lie that’s crystal clear even to a layman.
Now that the innocent people of the country are arrested on no ground or warrant and that they’re suffering so badly reminds us of medieval times. And more curiously the sad state conforms to no democratic fibre of the land.
It is time that the government took some measures to mend the damage done to these innocent people and thought sensibly before dealing with any such incidents in the future and ensured a healthy atmosphere for the practice of decency and democracy.
Rafiqul Islam Rime
Agrabad, Chittagong
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