Bureaucratic figures are untrustworthy in every dictatorial regime. Hiding the truth is authoritarianism.
When the dictators fall only then lies are found out and the ruination of the country is revealed. In Bangladesh the banking sector has been freely looted under this government and it does not require somebody from the academic world to say that no country can be developed by destroying the banking system or allowing politics to be rich overnight.
When the dictators fall only then lies are found out and the ruination of the country is revealed. In Bangladesh the banking sector has been freely looted under this government and it does not require somebody from the academic world to say that no country can be developed by destroying the banking system or allowing politics to be rich overnight.
In a recent interview conducted by Al Jazeera Television Mr Gowher Rizvi, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, described himself to be proud for the opportunity to serve under the great leader Sheikh Hasina for the government’s high achievements in many areas.
Like, anyone not responsible to the people but works unseen from within can beautifully distort the truth and mislead the government by gagging the free press and subverting free elections. That is the way to keep everybody guessing about the true position.
Mr Rizvi gloated over disinformation spread by Shahidul Alam. The question is why he has to be beaten up mercilessly unless to teach others of the consequence of criticising the government actions? If the government can give credible information, no disinformation can do any harm. The government itself must enjoy public trust by not lying to the people or robbing the election.
Democracy does not mean just election but also justice and good governance. It should also be known that propaganda about huge success without good governance is the worst disinformation.
Anyone who has respect for intellectual honesty must have felt sorry for him. He came to serve Sheikh Hasina to feel powerful where political leadership is weak and real power lies with others to play with the fate of a nation.
Mr Rizvi is right that he has come to serve Sheikh Hasina and not the people or the country. He gave some figures of development in various sectors. Unless one has the inside information to corroborate and where free speech is risky, lies are risk-free for the government. One should ask how corruption has gone up with impunity.
Where the practice of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances and politics of police cases are prevalent, it is easy for the government supporters to get away with falsehood and easy denials.
Mr Rizvi spoke more like a loyal bureaucrat than an academic of independent thinking. Why some truths did not come out from so highly educated a person like Mr Rizvi such as the government’s fear of free election and free press. The number of television channels, mostly owned by the government supporters is no proof of free press freedom.
Under the Digital Security Act nothing but the truth is to be said but press freedom means searching for the truth. The freedom of speech is not like giving evidence in a court of law. Even for an alleged defamation the law is applied.
All the success stories he dished out to be true then why fear a free election like held under parliamentary system everywhere after resigning from power. The Constitution was arbitrarily changed to make the democratic system of free election impossibility.
He is very much part of the plan for not allowing the people to vote. Besides, success of the government must mean quality of life and enjoyment of freedom by the people.
We do not want to hear success stories from the special beneficiaries of the government. If the achievements were not for the benefit of the few collaborating with the government but for the benefit of the general public, the people would have supported the government wholeheartedly.
He also blamed the military governments for destroying the democratic institutions. The democratic institutions were vanished by the Awami League when one party BKSAL government was formed.
In this regard also the role of some anti-people experts was important. Both military and civilian authoritarianism are bad for curtailing freedoms.
The truth is under the successive martial law governments multiparty democracy was given a chance to grow. It is the weak political leadership helped by so-called expert advisers that the democratic institutions were systematically made unworkable so that the advisers could feel important as the king makers.
Mr Rizvi should have the openness to advise the government for a free election so we could all, nationally and internationally, hear from the people how much good they have done to the people and the country.
Mr Rizvi, although a likeable person and other advisers not so likeable together have made the government their government and not the people’s government.
