Editorial Desk :
A number of European Parliament (EP) members again voiced concern over the escalation of political tension in Bangladesh, saying they do not see any willingness among the major political parties to reach a “compromise” and resolve the crisis through “dialogue”. Describing their discussions with stakeholders in Bangladesh, they said they did not see any scope of any compromise and did not even see any window of compromise, according to a video uploaded on the EP website on the discussions.
The European delegation came to the conclusion that fresh election would bring solution to the crisis. In their assessment they observed that by sidelining the opposition the government is taking ‘a big risk, big danger.’ The extremist groups might emerge that means terrorists. The European Union has thus assessed that the government is not fighting terrorism, it is rather helping terrorism to grow.
The observations were made on Thursday while discussing the feedback from the EP Sub-committee on Human Rights Mission in Brussels that recently visited Bangladesh. A three-member delegation of the Sub-committee on Human Rights of the European Parliament visited Bangladesh from February 16-20.
The EP delegation reiterated its stance saying peace
and stability should not be restored at the expense of civil and political rights. It also said freedom of expression was a matter of concern as it is a fundamental pillar of a pluralistic and vibrant democracy.
While voicing concerns, seems like the polite thing to do, the fact remains that statements like these are unlikely to have much of an impact on the politics of inhumanity and violence that is going on. In fact we in Bangladesh are in a situation where the political parties think they are living on the top of a mountain and are therefore totally oblivious to the conditions of the people living below. And like mountains, their respective stances remain rigid, inflexible, unbending. This is not likely to have a salubrious effect on the current atmosphere of animosity and hatred prevalent in the country.
We use the adage of Nero playing the fiddle while Rome was burning, but in our current political climate both the government and the opposition are indulging in an orgy of destruction, whether of democracy or of material things and if they remain incapable of solving the crisis, the whole nation and our friends elsewhere cannot remain indifferent. We can’t accept that democracy has to be destroyed so that they remain triumphant in their rigid poses.
Bangladesh is facing a vicious challenge to democracy, as a result of dangerous conspiracy of adventurist politicians who have become addicted to power. Compromise means compromise to deny democracy which cannot be acceptable as a compromise between two leaders. Our political leaders have proved their failures to make democracy functional. The European Union, though earnest in their desire to help us, have not been in the past helpful by not in stressing the importance of the democratic institutions. They, along with other Western friends, attained shaky compromises over election politics. Now election politics is being denied and democracy is being buried.
We have been saying this from the beginning that talking of dialogue between the two leaders sounds good, but not realistic, for the solution of the crisis. The Prime Minister should be urged to hold the fresh election that she herself promised.
A number of European Parliament (EP) members again voiced concern over the escalation of political tension in Bangladesh, saying they do not see any willingness among the major political parties to reach a “compromise” and resolve the crisis through “dialogue”. Describing their discussions with stakeholders in Bangladesh, they said they did not see any scope of any compromise and did not even see any window of compromise, according to a video uploaded on the EP website on the discussions.
The European delegation came to the conclusion that fresh election would bring solution to the crisis. In their assessment they observed that by sidelining the opposition the government is taking ‘a big risk, big danger.’ The extremist groups might emerge that means terrorists. The European Union has thus assessed that the government is not fighting terrorism, it is rather helping terrorism to grow.
The observations were made on Thursday while discussing the feedback from the EP Sub-committee on Human Rights Mission in Brussels that recently visited Bangladesh. A three-member delegation of the Sub-committee on Human Rights of the European Parliament visited Bangladesh from February 16-20.
The EP delegation reiterated its stance saying peace
and stability should not be restored at the expense of civil and political rights. It also said freedom of expression was a matter of concern as it is a fundamental pillar of a pluralistic and vibrant democracy.
While voicing concerns, seems like the polite thing to do, the fact remains that statements like these are unlikely to have much of an impact on the politics of inhumanity and violence that is going on. In fact we in Bangladesh are in a situation where the political parties think they are living on the top of a mountain and are therefore totally oblivious to the conditions of the people living below. And like mountains, their respective stances remain rigid, inflexible, unbending. This is not likely to have a salubrious effect on the current atmosphere of animosity and hatred prevalent in the country.
We use the adage of Nero playing the fiddle while Rome was burning, but in our current political climate both the government and the opposition are indulging in an orgy of destruction, whether of democracy or of material things and if they remain incapable of solving the crisis, the whole nation and our friends elsewhere cannot remain indifferent. We can’t accept that democracy has to be destroyed so that they remain triumphant in their rigid poses.
Bangladesh is facing a vicious challenge to democracy, as a result of dangerous conspiracy of adventurist politicians who have become addicted to power. Compromise means compromise to deny democracy which cannot be acceptable as a compromise between two leaders. Our political leaders have proved their failures to make democracy functional. The European Union, though earnest in their desire to help us, have not been in the past helpful by not in stressing the importance of the democratic institutions. They, along with other Western friends, attained shaky compromises over election politics. Now election politics is being denied and democracy is being buried.
We have been saying this from the beginning that talking of dialogue between the two leaders sounds good, but not realistic, for the solution of the crisis. The Prime Minister should be urged to hold the fresh election that she herself promised.
