The Country Plunges into Deep Crisis Ajoy Roy

The Country Plunges into Deep Crisis
Ajoy Roy

Published on May 03, 2009

I was most deeply disappointed and mortified after listening two speeches one Oslo peace speech of Dr. Mohammad Yunus and the other one delivered by our ï¿½two in one entityï¿½ ï¿½ the President and the Chief Adviser in Dr. Iajuddin, who is now nicknamed as Rastrapati Yesuddin. I will not comment on Nobel laureate Dr. Yunusï¿½s Nobel pace speech except that it lamentably devoid of world vision, miserably failing to address the real problems of peace the world today is facing. His speech is narrow in outlook, devoid of humanism projecting himself as a cleaver businessman who dreams to eradicate poverty not only from Bangladesh but poverty from the entire world, the poverty only to be seen in museums through his micro credit banking and sugar coated social business, a modern form of Interest mongering system of old Indian style. Thank god, the Nobel laureate did not come up with yet another governance scheme of Bangladesh, nay a formula with world government based on micro credit and social business based economy and culture.

The presidentï¿½s late night nation wide broadcast mortified me more. He spoke not as a chief of the non-party caretaker government or as a truly neutral non-partisan President of Bangladesh but as a mouth peace of Bangladesh National Party. He accused AL and other parties participating in movement for reformation and reconstitution of the Election Commission in the same language as were used by Begum Khaleda and Mr. Mannan Bhuiyan. He held them responsible for chaotic law and order situation of the country and deterioration of economy of the country because of their movement. Iajuddin echoed the voice of his Party Boss erstwhile PM Khaleda. In his behaviour, he all the time acted as a dictator forgetting that this is a parliamentary form of government he must act in a collegiate spirit. He must take collective decision as adopted in the meetings of the council of advisers, which is equivalent to the cabinet in a parliamentary form of government. He must execute those decision faithfully and diligently. I may cite only a few instances where he acted unilaterally defying the collective decision of the council of advisers. One the advisers asked the CA to ask CEC justice Aziz to resign, which the justice agreed to do so, but Dr. Iajuddin asked him to go for two months leave on two conditions that (i) justice Aziz will be in the country and enjoy all the benefits of CEC during his leave of absence and (ii) that effective security would be provided to him. Secondly, when one of the member Justice Mahfujur Rahman took over the office of the chief election commissioner proclaiming himself as acting CEC just after hearing the Presidential broadcast on TV on the following morning without waiting for a single moment or for official formalities, the obliging President did not utter a single word against this coup de at. It was the President's prerogative to put some one in the office of the CEC. The agreement was made between the CA and the advisers that Justice Aziz, Justice Mahfujur Rahman and Mr. Jakaria will resign (or go for a long vacation), and President will appoint one or two reputed non controversial personalities as election commissioner making one them as acting CECIL. But the CA or the Rastrapati intentionally made the deal a mess perhaps at the instance of his mentor. He once again appointed two new faceless EC one of them having BNP contact. Naturally instead of solving the problem Iajuddin put gasoline to ignite the movement of the frustrated 14 party alliance. Thirdly, when a fresh deal was arrived at very recently, and the entire country felt a sigh of relief that the advisers have at last arrived at a solution in the form of a package that will create a congenial atmosphere for ensuing general election. The President agreed to it and was willing to implement it. The deal had two components (i) rescheduling the election date etc., and (ii) reconstitution of the office of the EC. According to the package formula, Mr. Jakaria and Mr. Modabbir, one of the newly appointed EC either resign or go for a long vacation, and President will appoint one or two new commissioners making one of them as acting CECIL. All indications pointed out that Jakaria and Modabbir agreed to resign. But the behind the scene activities in Bangabhavan jeopardized the package as Jakaria and Modabbir refused to resign or go for vacation. The President refused to implement the package proposal perhaps at the instance of his behind the scene real masters, although election reschedule was announced by the election commission. Even he said 'I am not bound to implement whatever the advisers say, I will do what I think right and good for the country.' This arrogance on the part of the President infuriated the advisers particularly the fours who subsequently resigned.

Fourthly, when the 14 party alliance announced that it will go for gheraoing Bangabhavan, if the President did not take steps to materialize the package formula toto, the President held a meeting with his advisers in the evening of December 10 regarding implementation of package formula and deployment of army. President refused to agree with the proposal of reconstitution of office of CE, and he asked for consent of the advisers to deploy army immediately. On both counts the advisers disagreed with the president's desire. They opined that situation is not so grave that time has come to bring in army. They pointed out that package formula is the only solution to overcome the present political crisis. But the President decided to meet the crisis by force for which he ordered for deployment of army. Accordingly army moved in to the Dhaka streets capturing Bangabhaban immediately. It also moved to district head quarters.

In the face of President's stern and uncompromising attitude the four advisers had no other alternative but to resign. And perhaps president was delighted at their exit from the caretaker government as these four were seem to be hindrance to his evil design and desire. The other six advisers are not that courageous and dedicated whom the president will be able to maneuver.

Reaction of the resigning advisers

Four advisers, namely Dr. Akbar Ali Khan, Mr. C A Shafi Sammi, Lt gen. (retired) Han Mashud Choudhury resigned in the pre noon of December 11, when the President cancelled his appointment with these four advisers at 10 am on the plea that he had some important business. All of them said that their positions has become untenable as they felt that they could not contribute to bring in any fruitful solution for overcoming the political crisis for holding the free and fair election. The main hindrance to holding fair election is the election commission itself if it is not reconstituted in the light of the last package deal. President is now adamant not to change the present setup of the EC, and he has decided to face the political movement directed against him by using military force. Thus the president, acting unilaterally on his own at the instance of BNP leadership, decided to put the military face to face with the mass. Is it the right decision. The four advisers did not agree with the president. They are of the opinion that a political crisis can't be or must not be solved militarily.

I am afraid that the scholarship of Iajuddin does not permit to under stand the meaning of ï¿½collegiateï¿½. He totally ignored the package program developed by 10 advisers to implement. He also took decision of deploying Army ignoring the advice of his advisers. He sternly said to his colleagues that ï¿½Why he has to abide by the decision of his colleagues. He would act on his own.ï¿½ This disappointed the advisers. Dr. Iajuddin in many of his speeches depicted the care taker government as ï¿½My Governmentï¿½ indicating the present setup is a ï¿½one man showï¿½, directed from behind by his madam. ï¿½Yes madam, whatever you say.ï¿½

This gentleman is a glaring example how does absolute power transfer even a spineless creature like earthworm to a vertebrate as we find in Iajuddin. The resignation of 4 advisers following difference of opinion shows that accusation against the Rastrapati is a BNP man has basis. It is now clear that under the Present Rastrapati a fair and free election is impossibility. The departure of the 4 advisers from the present caretaker government plunges the country in despair and crisis. The BNP through its puppet president wants to push the AL and its alliance to a point of no return so that they are forced to declare not to participate in the election leaving the field clean for Begum Zia. Under the circumstances what would be the role of the army is any bodyï¿½s guess. Will they stand behind Begum Saheba to share her governmentï¿½s misdeeds, corruptions and failures?

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Prof. Ajoy K. Roy--a reputed scientist and human rights activist from Bangladesh--is the member of Mukto-Mona advisory board. He writes from Dhaka.