THE democratic process has to be ended all the way and those who believed that upazila elections will be free from the wishes of the government have proved how intellectually dull they could be. What is most shameful is how slavish some of our educated ones holding high public offices could be without caring the damage they are doing to the country.The exceptionally reckless rigging and violence in the UZ polls belied the government claims it made so far that had the BNP and other parties participated in the January 5 elections, they would have got a free and fair election. Moreover, the role that the EC played in the election praising God for being able to hold a ‘free and fair’ election in the back of widespread rigging and violence made it similarly clear that neither any future election – be it local or national–will be safe in its hands nor will the future of democracy be safe. As we see democracy is already at a crossroad while public institutions are faltering as bureaucrats and businessmen are virtually running the state resorting to all sorts of corruptions and blackmail. Media reports said senior police officials had even forced voters at Satkhira Sadar Upazila to abandon their queue and go home while ruling party cadres were stuffing ballots at the same time inside the polling centers. The lawmen were angry as to why the local voters did not vote for the government in the January 5 elections and gathered this time apparently to vote for the opposition candidate. Both Awami League and BNP leaderships were not helping democracy as because they were more anxious to remain in power for the benefit of their selfish corrupt fellows. Blaming the two ladies will not be right thing to do because they came to politics for family reasons and not for giving political leadership. Democracy has been destroyed by the unpatriotic and selfish few using state power and political void. Those hopeful about upazila election thinking that the government will show respect for election politics at upazila level are disappointed. BNP’s family politics cannot be any hope for any democracy either. BNP with Tarique Rahman as successor leader offers no hope against Awami League’s one party rule.
