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Bangladesh Democracy: Spinning from the "Axis of 2 Evils"?
Mohammad Gani
INTRODUCTION: Now, I have no doubt (in mind) that these 2 amazing characters, I mean two of our national role models; Hasina & Khaleda are not compatible to anything in our known Universe EXCEPT between themselves! Almighty God has created only 2 of this kind since the creation of “Time and Space” and unfortunately only for Bangladesh!! They shall never get the actual message and keep screwing this nation, its democracy, economy, virtually everything up and still remain as the all out savior(s) of this nation!!
SCOPE: Bangladesh, my motherland, the land I love so much, the home of millions of memories that captures all of our hearts often emotionally deep through, I am only one of them! For so many years and so many times, after the election is over, all the promises fade away unnoticed from the memory of our leaders and then their adulating and greedy "comrades" and “compatriots” move in. The entire nation is turned away disappointed over and over; only left alone to struggle on their own. These leaders have no conscience and true feeling at all, and have only been cheating and betraying 160 million people right and left, then turn right around again and announce more new promises and then keep forgetting those immediately after the election! It is truly hard to forget so many painful sacrifices and sufferings of our historic 9 months “moments” of struggles for our “FREEDOM”; its actual mission, vision, hopes and now all these miserable realities, as if for ever! Our democracy has been bleeding for too long!
EVENTS: Dogmatic Hasina's "colossal" victory in the recent general election and her "massacre of Begum Khaleda Zia/BNP" has once again proved that our "bloody nosed" hybrid democracy has only been changing hands between 2 evils and the devastated fates of 160 million people have been moving back and forth from a greedy wolf’s mouth to a hungry tiger’s mouth! Sadly enough, it looks like this “stupid nation” (Mohammad Gani included) shall keep doing the same mistakes over and over, expecting that things will CHANGE by electing "the other one" between these 2 “Dictatorial Regimes" for every 5 Years and then keeping these “democratic autocrats" for entire 5 years; no matter what they do! No accountability and no transparency whatsoever as we see in modern civilized democracy. These 2 original and digital national Assets, and their “dedicated” beneficiaries (lieutenants) firmly believe that “DEMOCRACY” is only a ONE DAY EVENT; just “Voting and Counting the ballots” in a "Free and Fair" election conducted by an illegitimate Care Taker Government each time, pretty much that’s all! What does this “one day EVENT” exactly prove about democracy as a whole, anything? This is how; these 2 perverse monsters have been “decapacitating” our democracy!
One could only wonder why Mrs. Khaleda is not in handcuffs yet when our constitutionally super-powerful Hasina has known/found so many facts of Khaleda’s records on massive corruptions, extortion, grafts, bribery and “Chandabazi” etc during her long 10 years of “democratic Rule”! Our imperious Prime Minister’s live and rancorous allegations against Mrs. Khaleda in the nation’s Parliament as well as in many other public audiences should have some merits in them. If her claims on these serious charges are true, Hasina must follow the rule of law; its enforcement with specific charges against Khaleda in full extend; because she is committed to fighting and eradicating nation’s corruptions! But if all these claims are only rhetoric and political blasphemy, then recalcitrant Hasina should stop barking and also stop fooling around her own nation with her misleading testimony in the parliament against Khaleda. Nation wants actions, not staging and perforing tautological drama series any more!
ANALYSIS: I still precisely do not know how, why and exactly when Democracy has “invaded” and permeated Bangladesh! What these “sham” democracies have so far given to the impoverished nation are only endemic Corruptions, Extortion, Grafts, Bribery, “Chandabzi”, Crossfires” “The Most Corrupted Country in the Universe”, The “Poorest Country in the World”, “Bottomless Basket”, “Hartals every week”, “Lagathar Hartal” “Aborodh, “Punching the oppositions to distract the nation’s attention from the exigent issues, “Blame games”, "Denials”, "Denials of denials" and now even more like, "No Water, No Electricity and No Gas"........ etc.!
Upon briefly rewinding our history, we shall clearly see that our founding father Sk. Mujibur Rahman always talked about "founding democracy" during his entire pre-independence political life. However, upon his arrival from Pakistan on 10 January 1972, he never talked straight about “Democracy”, his message was smattering and colloquial about “Democracy” though he was touting on Nationalism, Secularism, Democracy and Socialism (Mujibbad?). In January 1975, the Constitution was amended to make Mujib president for five years and to give him full executive powers. The next month, in a move that wiped out all opposition political parties, Mujib proclaimed Bangladesh a one-party state, effectively abolishing the parliamentary system. He renamed the Awami League the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BAKSAL) and required all civilian government personnel to join the party. The fundamental rights enumerated in the Constitution ceased to be observed, and Bangladesh, in its infancy, was transformed into a personal dictatorship. Since then, this misled and confused nation has been forced to embrace "Parliamentary dictatorship" of mostly either AL or BNP and each time, the new government has the instant temerity to go around criticizing their predecessors instead of focusing on issues and delegated constitutional duties.
IDEAS & CONCLUSION: Yet, no one should underestimate the power of voting or “people’s power” in a democracy and our fear here is not 160 million people of Bangladesh but their hypocrite leaders, like these 2 national Assets and their toady cronies those have been betraying their own nation. I know, Hasina and Khaleda were triggered into politics to rescue AL/BNP from collapsing but it is almost time to change this concept and theory that but for Hasina & Khaleda, AL & BNP shall cease to exist! It is almost time for both Hasina and Khaleda to exit, need to “kindly” consider voluntary retirement from screwing this impoverished nation up any further and also take their immediate family members with them. We need to peruse establishing “Competitive Democracy” replacing “dy-nastic” hypocrisies, and the sooner is better! Reforms in political parties, especially in Awami League and BNP are of paramount national importance. Party chairpersons and head of the Government must not hold their positions more than any 2 terms. We could also consider starting with a “National Unity Government” in priming this mission! Too bad, we have chased and kicked "Shudkhor Yunus” out almost instantly from the podium of national politics upon arrival! Was he so incompetent?
FINALLY, it is my hope and prayer that Bangladesh could take care of herself and that the current winds of so-call democracy blowing through Bangladesh could someday change its course to the right direction. We desperately need an intelligent and charismatic leader with vision and wisdom, and most importantly optimistic about the future of our country. I truly believe that Bangladesh someday will get back to that decency, accountability and intelligence in its politics and shall pick truly honest, well educated and articulate candidates; not those who promote politics of fear and seem to flaunt their disdain for greed.
May God bless Bangladesh and its 160 million people (Hasina & Khaleda included).
Mohammad Gani
E-mail: mgani69@gmail.com
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