Why people
elect
government
in
Bangladesh?
First of
all, it is a
democracy,
which means
that the
people rule.
It is also a
representative
government
because the
people elect
leaders who
will
represent
their
viewpoint
when making
government
decisions.
It is also a
constitutional
government
because it
operates
according to
a set of
laws and
principles
that are
outlined in
a document
known as the
Constitution
of
Bangladesh.
"We're not
the first to
come here
with
government
divided and
uncertainty
in the air.
Our citizens
don't much
care which
side of the
aisle we sit
on, as long
as we are
willing to
cross that
aisle when
there is
work to be
done," said
President
George W.
Bush of the
United
States of
America
in his sixth
State of the
Union
address on
Tuesday,
January 23,
2007. Faced
with a
Democratic
Congress,
President
Bush urged
lawmakers to
work with
him to
achieve big
things for
the American
people.
The reason
to quote the
speech of
the
president
Bush is to
mention the
common
ground where
every
lawmakers
feel same
either
Democrats or
Republican.
A
losing/winning
parliamentarian
may not
invite
his/her
fellow
opposition
for
lunch/dinner
or vise
versa but
he/she can
respect the
public
opinion and
keep
patience and
play a good
constructive
role. Is it
too hard to
act like a
real
gentleman/gentlewoman
if he/she
will not get
his/her
desire side
of the aisle
to sit on!
On Monday,
October 1,
2001,
Bangladesh's
Awami League
(AL)
responded to
its
landslide
election
defeat by
announcing a
boycott of
parliament
by saying
that her
party would
neither take
oath as
members of
parliament
nor join the
parliament.
When Begum
Khaleda Zia,
chairperson
of
Bangladesh
Nationalist
Party (BNP),
was in
opposition,
she too
boycotted
parliament.
Citizen of
Bangladesh
may not care
which side
of the aisle
the
lawmakers
sit on but
the
country�s
politicians
always care
the specific
side of the
aisle to sit
on. And the
result was
weak
parliament
without
opposition.
In a recent
interview
with AFP,
noble
laureate of
Bangladesh
professor
Dr. Muhammad
Yunus said
that there
is no
ideological
thing in the
country�s
political
leader. They
are busy to
grab power
and make
money
whether they
are in power
or not. They
hardly have
time to give
any
attention to
reform
anything for
public
interest.
For the
first time,
Abdul Jalil
and Mannan
Bhuiyan,
representing
the two
corrupt and
rival
political
dynasties,
the AL and
BNP
respectively,
have found a
common
ground to
grind their
axes in
public.
Corruption
has never
been treated
at the core
of the
priority
concerns in
Bangladesh.
The World
Bank
estimates
that
corruption
exacts a
toll of 2-3%
on annual
GDP growth
each year.
The links
between
corruption
and
organized
crime,
terrorism,
conflict,
human rights
abuses,
environmental
degradation,
and poverty
are now
universally
recognized
in the
country.
Having brand
name �most
corrupt
country� for
five
consecutive
years, the
policymakers
in
Bangladesh
hardly react
positively
as many of
them are
closely
involved in
it.
Transparency
International
Bangladesh
(TIB) raised
its voice
once again
against the
policy
makers of
Bangladesh
on Thursday,
January 25,
2007 at
Dhaka
Press Club
for not
ratifying
the �UN
Convention
Against
Corruption.�
As many as
83 countries
out of 148
signatories
have
ratified the
convention
that was
adopted on
October 31,
2003 and
opened for
signature on
December 9,
2003.
After
signing the
convention,
Bangladesh
might need
to enter
into a legal
obligation
to
criminalize
an array of
corrupt
practices,
develop
national
institutions
to prevent
corrupt
practices
and to
prosecute
offenders,
cooperate
with other
governments
to recover
stolen
assets, and
help each
other,
including
with
technical
and
financial
assistance,
to fight
corruption,
reduce its
occurrence
and
reinforce
integrity.
And everyone
in
Bangladesh
knows it
very well
that why the
government
didn�t sign
it.
The
influencing
corruption
always runs
with high
speed; no
matter who
is in the
driving
seat. Latest
experience
of
corruption
is also
following
its master
gambler when
ex-energy
adviser
major
general (retd)
Ruhul Alam
Chowdhury
was issuing
four
licenses to
unknown
companies
for
exploration
of mineral
resources
between late
December and
early this
month while
the
country's
future was
looking
bleak due to
political
turmoil.
Although,
Mr.
Chowdhury
countered
that he
didn�t do
anything new
and his job
there was a
routine
task, the
beneficiary
companies
are not
capable with
financially,
professionally,
or
technically
to complete
the awarded
deal. No
need to say
that this
hasty deal
has been
awarded due
to the
political
proximity of
the previous
BNP alliance
government.
Mentioning
the
Anti-Corruption
Commission
(ACC) in
Bangladesh
as most
�corrupt�
organization
of the
previous
government,
adviser to
the
Caretaker
Government
Major
General (retd)
Abdul Matin
alleged that
the ACC
could not
perform as
per the
expectations
of the
people. The
previous
government
intentionally
handicapped
the ACC
suspending
Bureau of
Anti-Corruption
and its 13
laws, which
actually
made the ACC
inactive.
Actually,
the rules to
govern the
party
funding need
oversight,
enforcement
and
monitoring
with
reliable
judges or
electoral
authorities,
and active
investigative
press. This
will
contribute
to a
meritocratic
public
service,
which will
resist party
bias and
encourage
decision
making in
the public
interest.
According to
the 'Human
Development
in South
Asia Report
2005: Human
Security in
South Asia'
prepared by
Pakistan-based
Mahbub ul
Haq Human
Development
Centre,
released on
Thursday,
January 25,
2007 in
Dhaka,
human
security in
South Asia
is in the
stake. Past
lawmakers of
Bangladesh
didn�t pay
any
attention to
pave the way
for
strengthening
human
security.
Weak
governance
institutions
fail to
provide the
security net
for the most
vulnerable
people and
increases
human
insecurity.
In addition,
the report
indicated
that 40
percent
people in
South Asia
are
suffering
for food
while 40
percent of
South Asia's
population
lives below
the poverty
line.
Committing
suicide due
to food in
Bangladesh
can be found
very often
but
unfortunately
it is not a
common
ground for
the
policymakers
to raise
their voice.
Lawmakers of
different
political
parties in
India always
give common
opinion when
they talk
about
Kashmir
issue.
Bangladeshi
lawmakers
don�t have
any common
ground to
react
positively
either for
people,
state, or
foreign
affairs.
They have
common
ground when
they need to
raise their
voice
against Dr.
Yunus, to
avoid UN
convention
Against
Corruption,
or to have a
quick
election so
that they
can
grab/share
power
quickly.
New York
January 26,
2007
