Dr. M. S. Haq
Direct victims of present day political crises in Bangladesh are country Bangladesh and people of Bangladesh. Indirect victims of above crises are world countries and world peoples including those of Bangladesh – against the backdrop of for example continuing uncertainties, growing interdependencies, and increasing useful resources related starvations (as appropriate) at local, global and other levels in the midst of present day inabilities of science and technology in the form of say the absence of a fully blown regimes for resources recycling. General victims of the crises are futures of present and future generations of say human beings against the backdrop of opportunity losses in the form of say ‘quality’ DNA transfers. The list of victims and areas of victimization tend to indicate inter alia concerned political parties in Bangladesh are not only responsible – in one form or other – for causes, effects and causalities of destabilization in Bangladesh but the world at large.The bad news is: impacts of above crises on people, economy, governance and other things at local, global and other levels are at present difficult to factor in accounting systems of respective countries, as well as peoples in efforts towards for instance bringing about improvements in accountability of political parties and politicians to the people and vice versa in pertinent areas. As a result of above and other factors, the resultant situations are taking heavy toll on countries such as Bangladesh wherein people’s power is apparently weak when it comes to holding political parties and politicians accountable for political misconduct via what I would call political justice system or similar mechanisms at local, regional, global and other levels including the UN.
Further, limitations associated with inter alia: election institutions, as well as systems; voter education; availability of, and transparency in, useful and usable election information; and environments for free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in concerned countries are hampering, as appropriate, the people’s efforts towards electing the right person at the right time via exercising their voting right in a rightly informed manner, to their full satisfaction. Still further, paucities of appropriate use of consensus in national decisions in an increasingly divided Bangladesh along political and other lines and under harmful partisan politics have been instrumental in inter alia hindering the development of a political accountability regime in the country.
Outcomes from above and other developments including those from politics of imitations are being instrumental in inter alia transforming politicians and political parties of Bangladesh into increasingly powerful free riders of opportunities when it comes to for example realization of changes in relevant areas according to their own sweet will during per term of political governments in the country – restricting, among other things, scopes for peaceful resolution of political disputes by all concerned including friends of Bangladesh and pushing up maintenance costs of Bangladesh at least in an arithmetic rate of progression, to mention a few.
Windfalls from above and other things have been instrumental in inter alia a continuous move towards battle field like confrontations – accompanied by continually increasing ramifications in terms of say death, destruction, loss and injury – in pursuits of settlement of political disputes against the backdrop of progressively marginalized choices of the people in pertinent areas. Victimization of Bangladesh and the people and those of the world at large as part of attempt towards resolution of political disputes cannot and should not be allowed to continue in the country.
Let us now focus on the way forward. Here are a few of the suggestions (as at 23 November 2013) – not in the order of priority and importance but they are relative to time, space and other variables.
01. Strengthen and expand the political base in the country and improve quality control requirements for political parties, as well as politicians at registration, periodic renewal of registration (a proposal), registration cancellation and other levels.
02. Promulgate and operationalize an act that could be called Political Accountability Act of Bangladesh reflecting on inter alia unfair political practices on the part of ruling political parties, unfair political practices on the part of opposition parties, procedures of punishment, nature and type of punishment, provisions for appeal, and dispute resolutions. Establish regulatory bodies and courts for dealing with relevant purposes of the Act.
03. UN should activate its regional commissions in full and meaningful manners against the backdrop of specific UN resolutions (to be) aiming at providing counseling or arbitration or other services to concerned countries, whether or not in conjunction with other regional organizations such as SAARC in pursuits of settlement of political disputes in above countries – following the failure of country level efforts vide for example above Act. In an event, the dispute remains unresolved at commission levels, the matter should be referred to the UN for further actions under the resolutions. The resolution should specify inter alia lead time and other time related targets for the purposes of above resolutions.
04. An aggressive and result-oriented role of say social and other media preferably with zero side effects in relevant areas should be ensured and promoted for creating, sustaining and using support bases of ordinary people of rest of world in favor of ordinary people of Bangladesh in say matters of the election. It could be helpful in inter alia enhancing people’s pressure on political parties of Bangladesh for fulfillment of election expectations to their full satisfaction. Windfalls from above developments could supplement and complement efforts of friends of Bangladesh in for example above areas.
05. The 18 party alliance under BNP and 14 party alliance under AL should work collectively towards as to how best and quickest they could reduce the tension between them, bring down victims of the political crises to zero levels and settle the dispute through peaceful means in a result oriented fashion – to maximum satisfaction of people of Bangladesh and others concerned – before it might become too late for protecting Bangladesh from UN and other sanctions or from another bout of military rule in the country or otherwise, as applicable. Do not create refugee situations.
The good news is: upcoming quantum technologies in the form of quantum computers and other products could boost up accountability regimes at local, global and other levels.
The last word: why not BNP rise on the occasion and take the lead role in resolving the dispute to maximum satisfaction of all people of all of Bangladesh and others concerned? In that respect, build constituencies, develop strategies, and implement the strategies through those constituencies with or without help and support of say friends of Bangladesh including the US and the UN. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2014 in advance! God bless. (The author is inter alia former Project Officer/Head, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – UNHCR, Kabul – Afghanistan)
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