Mainul Hosein :
The government is understandably angry and threatened to sue Al Jazeera for disseminating false information against it. Al Jazeera has certainly given damaging international publicity. The United Nations responded saying that they were aware of the Al Jazeera’s report, our Defence Ministry’s press release and expected investigation by our authorities. The United States also reacted. On the other hand, our Foreign Minister went out of his way to say that the government has no objection if the United Nations investigates. Very bold assertion.
We shall wait to see how things roll out. But the government must wake up to see the light of the day. Whatever the thieves and sycophants around the government say, truth cannot be bottled up, it reveals itself. It is better to be open and take action against the culprits swiftly and change the way.
Offering everybody to be a party loyalist or activist to join the system of corruption has to be ended. This is loyalty buying. People of independent professions cannot be acceptable as party activists working for any political party. We have to end party politics as everybody’s business of corruption. Professional independence and integrity must be strictly adhered to or let them do politics as politicians.
What we have in Bangladesh is a system supported by collective corruption. We do not need Al Jazeera or other outsiders to tell us what is true and what is not. We know that corruption is open and fearlessly pursued.
It is only logical that corruption and violent brutality go together like hand in glove. The news of tens of thousands of dollars being laundered was published in our media. It happened to the knowledge of the government. The national press also published news about disappearances, extra-judicial killings and abuse of power without mentioning the names of the powerful ones. The fear created was real.
We also tried to say that nobody alone is to be blamed because it is the system of collective corruption that is being practiced collective by a powerful few.
It is also a national shame to see how easily our educated people yield to worshiping corruption and becoming party activists for extra benefit.
Free and fair election, as recognition of the people’s ownership of the country, is to be established firmly by organising democracy on a strong footing. Farcical elections are held also under the worst autocracy.
We have been betrayed by sections of our own educated people showing allegiance to party politics of whichever party government is in power for a share in the pie. We must have a system that does not rely on crooks and criminals for continuing survival.
We have to rely on public spirited men and women to show their backbone for the emergence a system of governance that is not exploitable for safe corruption. Our people’s long battle for democracy is their chosen path. This cannot be denied by those who call themselves pro-liberation forces.
The electionless government is victory for bureaucracy. The whole idea of governance is marred by bureaucratic power and bureaucratic thinking.
We were not like this. The unknown politics has changed all the norms and values of our politics.
It is not denied that everybody has the right to be in politics as a politician. But the professionals have to remain loyal to their professional duty. All our institutions for good governance and good education have been damaged from within because most of professionals ceased be professionals through politicisation.
We have to restore the broken down democratic system for the rule of the law to prevail and fair justice to be ensured. These are matters of the system we fought for.
All these changes and more can be peacefully attained if selfless educated ones band together.
Some unscrupulous educated people through their slavishness made the country unliveable as a free people. Now we need well-meaning educated people to come forward for reinstating peace and safety under good governance.
We have earned the right to enjoy freedom of a free country.
