Editorial Desk :
It is a matter of deep frustration to those who wish well for Bangladesh. As a nation with everything we have it must be awfully painful to all that we are absolutely helpless to save the country from the engulfing crisis of uncertainty and violence. We are being seen as thoroughly incompetent at the mercy of boundless corruption, endless waste and political insanity.
We do not need to recite the language used by some in power to show how intolerant and how non-political they are. We should be aware also how absurd it is to expect political solution to have an elected and accountable government–honest and responsible, for peace and stability.
Though no political solution is sought, still these businessmen-politicians think peace has been restored and their stay in power is all but secured. Any political leader would have known that temporary peace
with police power is not peace to endure for feeling safe and secure. It is the political void that is denying us political solution.
What is most hopeless about the situation in the country is the absence of political considerations for finding a way out. As because politics has become money making business, as because the politics of the country has sold to the unscrupulous businessmen, there is no political considerations in our politics.
Everyone will agree that with businessmen’s considerations of immediate gains, corruption will have to be protected as the main consideration of governance. No political thinking can have any place in dealing with political matters.
How to build or run a good government cannot be the business of businessmen. To them corruption has to be the best business. In their blindness for self-interest, they cannot see or know how the government is disintegrating and the country is dissolving into violent struggle. Being surrounded by police they feel that is their power.
The mayoral and councillor candidates to the upcoming city polls, as reported in the press on Thursday, showed maximum ward councillors are businessmen. It said 47 pro-ruling party candidates out of 91 are businessmen, 13 are contractors, profession of 14 is unknown and 17 are involved with other jobs unimportant to know. They are most likely to be in the business extortion enjoying government shelter. There is hardly any opposition candidate, mayoral or councillor, against whom a number of police cases are not pending.
It is not deniable that using police cases against the political opponents is another vicious side of our political void.
The tragedy of Bangladesh’s politics is that when a political party assumes power, it politicizes the entire government and state institutions, like PSC, EC, ACC, law enforcers and the military by adorning party-loyal people marginalizing the people from the mainstream politics. This is essential for corruption to be protected and they continue in power.
The overwhelming majority of the members of the present parliament were chosen based on business transactions. Whether one likes to call the parliamentary election of January 5 farcical or not, the fact remains that large sums of money had to be spent to be the members of the privileged group. Anybody can understand the simple truth that in politics of corrupt business, to rely on people’s vote is a liability and not to be welcomed. There is no shame also in cheating the election.
With due respect to the helpless politician it has to be said not everybody is a politician for being in power. The most simple but also the most consideration of politician is to recognize that the country belongs to the people and without their consent there cannot be a legitimate government. Otherwise every usurper may be claiming to be a political leader having the legitimacy to govern.
There can be no political leadership without having the political quality of making sensible compromises for peace and stability in the country. It is no politics not to know how to make compromises.
Brave talks of intolerance is not politics of election for a political solution.
It is a matter of deep frustration to those who wish well for Bangladesh. As a nation with everything we have it must be awfully painful to all that we are absolutely helpless to save the country from the engulfing crisis of uncertainty and violence. We are being seen as thoroughly incompetent at the mercy of boundless corruption, endless waste and political insanity.
We do not need to recite the language used by some in power to show how intolerant and how non-political they are. We should be aware also how absurd it is to expect political solution to have an elected and accountable government–honest and responsible, for peace and stability.
Though no political solution is sought, still these businessmen-politicians think peace has been restored and their stay in power is all but secured. Any political leader would have known that temporary peace
with police power is not peace to endure for feeling safe and secure. It is the political void that is denying us political solution.
What is most hopeless about the situation in the country is the absence of political considerations for finding a way out. As because politics has become money making business, as because the politics of the country has sold to the unscrupulous businessmen, there is no political considerations in our politics.
Everyone will agree that with businessmen’s considerations of immediate gains, corruption will have to be protected as the main consideration of governance. No political thinking can have any place in dealing with political matters.
How to build or run a good government cannot be the business of businessmen. To them corruption has to be the best business. In their blindness for self-interest, they cannot see or know how the government is disintegrating and the country is dissolving into violent struggle. Being surrounded by police they feel that is their power.
The mayoral and councillor candidates to the upcoming city polls, as reported in the press on Thursday, showed maximum ward councillors are businessmen. It said 47 pro-ruling party candidates out of 91 are businessmen, 13 are contractors, profession of 14 is unknown and 17 are involved with other jobs unimportant to know. They are most likely to be in the business extortion enjoying government shelter. There is hardly any opposition candidate, mayoral or councillor, against whom a number of police cases are not pending.
It is not deniable that using police cases against the political opponents is another vicious side of our political void.
The tragedy of Bangladesh’s politics is that when a political party assumes power, it politicizes the entire government and state institutions, like PSC, EC, ACC, law enforcers and the military by adorning party-loyal people marginalizing the people from the mainstream politics. This is essential for corruption to be protected and they continue in power.
The overwhelming majority of the members of the present parliament were chosen based on business transactions. Whether one likes to call the parliamentary election of January 5 farcical or not, the fact remains that large sums of money had to be spent to be the members of the privileged group. Anybody can understand the simple truth that in politics of corrupt business, to rely on people’s vote is a liability and not to be welcomed. There is no shame also in cheating the election.
With due respect to the helpless politician it has to be said not everybody is a politician for being in power. The most simple but also the most consideration of politician is to recognize that the country belongs to the people and without their consent there cannot be a legitimate government. Otherwise every usurper may be claiming to be a political leader having the legitimacy to govern.
There can be no political leadership without having the political quality of making sensible compromises for peace and stability in the country. It is no politics not to know how to make compromises.
Brave talks of intolerance is not politics of election for a political solution.
