Editorial Desk :
For the people of Bangladesh living in the prevailing circumstances it is unbelievable that a sitting prime minister or a minister could be punished for lying or breaking the law not affecting the general public.
Our parliamentarians and politicians must be laughing their heads off seeing the crisis the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been facing. The allegation against him is that he lied about a gathering within the premises of his office when the country was under Covid rules the prime minister asked the people to follow. The risk was taken by the prime minister and his staff. The general public had nothing to worry. But deeper implication the general public were made to suffer for the restrictions introduced. They could not meet together or say goodbye to their dying ones.
The day was the prime minister’s birthday and his officials got together to celebrate the occasion within the premises lasting few minutes. The prime minister and his wife joined them.
When the event came out to be known he claimed that no such gathering took place amounting to violation of the rules. It is possible that Mr Boris Johnson thought mistakenly such an impromptu get together of his officials was not a gathering.
But the fact is he joined the others forming a gathering of persons and shared with them drinks to celebrate his birthday as arranged by the officials inside.
The members of the parliament and the press saw the matter as violation of law and lying in the parliament by the prime minister which is a grave wrong doing. Not only the opposition but some members of his Conservative Party are insisting that he should resign. In their judgement a law breaker and a liar must not continue as the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
The British press and the members of the parliament are in a very unforgiving mood. Despite repeated unreserved apologies from the prime minister
regretting the mistake the ordeal is proving too much embarrassing and difficult for survival.
There was a police investigation that followed the event of gathering and the police fined Boris Johnson, the prime minister, finding him guilty of the offence. He paid 50 pounds as penalised without hesitation.
Police did not have to fear to hold the prime minister of breaching the law and punish. Only thing the police had to think that the law is law and nobody is above the law. They had no hesitation to find him broken the law although he thought otherwise. So he lied to deny the truth.
The members of the parliament are still fuming and they are not ready to keep the matter end there. To them the principle involved is that a prime minister who lies and breaks law cannot be trusted to decide the fate of the people.
This instance must have appeared to our politicians as strangest of a strange matter that for breaking a minor law or telling a harmless lie by a prime minister or a minister could cause a national alarm of losing trust of the nation. Why then they are so powerful if they cannot get away with lies and remain above the law. Our power politics is about power and laws are for others to obey. Abuse of law is also law. Lying is politics and lies from political leaders are our everyday diet.
Suppressing the truth is the major job of our government. The history of who freed us from Pakistan army and how Bangladesh became a subservient revolutionary country cannot be discussed without acceptable lies. Other than lies it cannot be explained how death of democracy became our victory against Pakistan. Our elections are internationally condemned but lies must prevail and the government has no difficulty about owning its legitimacy.
Corruption is the only job where lying is not necessary. Admittedly, corruption is everywhere and looting of the banks is not a problem. It is known to all who have made themselves billionaires overnight. Like Russian oligarchs they are now worried if they are slapped with American sanction.
Our fate is we must live with lies unless change for truth is possible. No nation be free or great built on lies.
Our parliament members cannot conceive for any such small mater violating any law or telling lies by the prime minister or ministers can be held accountable. Lying and misleading the people is their daily politics. In our country it is the general idea among politicians that the law or abuse of law is for others to obey. The ministers and politicians are not people to be affected by law or the lies they dish out every day. Lying is the privilege of the government.
The laws against freedom of speech and the problems with the press would not in existence if the ministers and powerful people in the government had the honesty to face the truth. Lies need for protection of fear.
Even we do not know the correct history of the birth of Bangladesh. We do not know how authoritarianism replaced our cherished goal of democracy.
We are carrying on with lies and living in ignominy. It requires a sense of dignity of a free people to deserve a government respectful of law and truth.
