We witnessed the 10th Parliamentary Election which has earned the reputation of the most controversial and questionable one in the history of Bangladesh with the lowest percentage of voter turnout. The EC was hesitating to declare the poor percentage of turnout but at the insistence of the newsmen CEC promised to declare it within two or three days. But ironically just after one hour of this declaration the Election Commission declared a factious figure of 39 percent turnout making the EC further questionable and a laughing stock to the sensible people who watched the various channels of TV and saw the turnout of voters. Out of 38 registered political parties only 12 in name participated in this farcical election. Out of this twelve four parties could not give any nomination meaning with many insignificant parties whose role and contribution to the nation proves little. Before, during and after the election unprecedented violence took place exposing the bankruptcy of the major parties that feared to face people’s verdict. Instead of getting people’s support they resorted to violence at the cost of nation’s huge economic loss and people’s life. ‘The country has become like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party where logic is carried to its extreme end, and some of our leaders sound as imperious as Carroll’s Queen of Hearts who calls out: Off with his head” wherever someone displeases her.’-commented Irene Khan (DG of the International Development Law Organization ( IDLO).
The earlier comments, discussions and opinions of the ruling party men gave us the notion that this election would be just to maintain the continuity of Constitution and that the 11th parliamentary election will be held through meaningful discussion. But the ruling party leaders’ present expression and Prime Minister’s press conference don’t give us that hope. Rather they want to go hardliner to erase ‘those who create anarchy’ in the country. They say the new government’s principal duty will be to ensure this. On other hand, Tarique Zia, senior vice-president of BNP, declared from London ‘no discussion’ with the illegal government. Of course, the same kind of opinion has been expressed by the ruling party stalwarts also. When this is the reality, what is in store for us? Democracy has already taken shelter in the museum. We don’t bother about it. Democracy is not safe in either of the major parties. If they deal with democracy, the future generation will get a wrong signal about democracy. We need to move freely in the country which has been established at the cost of supreme sacrifice of the heroic sons and daughters. We want security. We want a normal life. But the two parties’ stubbornness has rather evaporated our hope and dreams to see a normal life. When political field has absolutely been occupied by Da-Kural (axes and choppers) and logi boitha (sticks and oars) we cannot expect anything good from it. Now who will save us? Who will save the minorities? One night while watching TV I saw one lady of minority community was crying and telling the media men that she phoned the law enforcing agencies to come and save them when they were under attack, but mysteriously none went there. After the incident law enforcers reached there. When this is the situation, we just depend upon God.
We have every doubt whether our development partners will recognise the government being formed through this election as they have not sent the election observers. We are the member of international community and in this global age we must depend on other communities for job, business, education, IT and for what not. Our poor economy cannot afford to meet the nation’s demands without taking the help from development parterres. If they don’t cooperate with us, what will happen to us? The ruling party men seem to be least bothered about it. They know how to meet the economy- just increasing the taxes of the utility services which people cannot afford to pay. They will not feel its burden as they have earned a colossal amount of money during their tenure which we learnt from the newspaper reports. It is well to bear in mind that Bangladesh’s major trading partners-the EU, the USA, Canada, Japan and China-repeatedly called for a negotiated settlement of the crisis and that these calls fell on deaf ears to the politicians. It will definitely hamper investments and ongoing businesses. Our economy is inextricably integrated with the global economy. The size of the economy has grown and with it the reliance on the global market which we cannot deny.
Now a clear signal appears before us that we cannot hope this election will bring an end to political instability and uncertainty. It will not ensure citizens’ peaceful tomorrow and beyond. Neither will it enhance the country’s standing in the global community. It is well known that a country’s people are the ultimate source of political legitimacy. This election has disenfranchised 4, 80, 27039 voters out of a total of 9, 19, 65,977 voters. Whatever arguments the ruling party people place in favour of the election will not gain any positive ground. It will simply complicate Bangladesh’s relationship with the international community. The isolation policy or one state dependency policy will not bring any good to the nation.
Now the question arises will the 11th parliamentary election (if it is really held) bring stability in the country? It is very difficult to say. When the whole nation has been cleverly divided into two groups and the policy of elimination and erasing the other hovers around, we can hardly hope to see better days. So, a simple change of government may not give us any good hope. The attacks on Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Padma Bridge fiasco, the Share Market scam, one-sided election and war crimes trials have further deepened the division and crisis. So, all the talk-shows, comments, columns, writings, suggestions and requests fall on a deaf ear of major political party leaders as their agenda is different and what the common people fail to fathom. We are just passing our days through sheer frustration. No reasonable solution is still in sight to give us a ray of hope.
(Masum Billah is manager, BRAC Education Program and vice-president: Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA) Email: masumbillah65@gmail.com)
