RE: [ALOCHONA] Launch of Global Campaign for Accountable Democracy in Bangladesh

Dear Alochoks,

I am supporting this campaign for accountable democracy and in fact I am also working on this campaign, having recently joined Change Bangladesh organization. We launched this campaign on February 21st, 2008.

I agree with Mr. Zubair Najib that 10,000 signatures is unlikely to make the political parties change. But the Accountable Democracy Campaign is not just about collecting 10,000 signatures. Its about starting a movement for change in our political culture. The petition is simply one practical way to mobilize grassroots support. Why 10,000, why not 100,000? Because given our voluntary resources and time restraints we felt that 10,000 would be a realistic goal.

Over the last 1 year, we saw that pressure from the top in the form of the current CTG alone, cannot change the political culture. Bottom up pressure needs to be applied. And we the people have to add to this debate and pressure. Obviously being NRBs we are limited in some ways. But we also have opportunities - we have access to technology, we are free from threats on the ground in Bangladesh, etc.

This CTG will go and at some point the army will have to return to barracks as well. The people left standing will be the major political parties - Awami League and BNP. The question is do we want the old AL and BNP back? Or do we want a BNP and AL that is accountable to the people?

This campaign is not about any one person - not about Sheikh Hasina or Dr. Fakhruddin or Khaleda Zia. Its about the most important institutions of democracy - the political parties. We do not want to pray for another honest candidate. We want a system of accountability, and no where is that system needed than at the center of politics - in the political parties.

We are running out of time. 1/11 is a once in a century opportunity. If this moment is lost then we shall forever have lost a great opportunity. What is amazing about this moment is that more than any other time in our history, we the common people have the greatest chance of affecting change in our system. The likelihood of success, as marginal as it is, is greatest now than ever before. So do we grab this opportunity and do our small part or do we look for an even bigger miracle from heaven?

Finally, 10,000 signatures may not get the political parties to change, but it could start a movement. And a movement can certainly change our country. Just because Change Bangladesh is initiating this process, we do not own the movement. We are at best, just facilitators. If this campaign succeeds in helping to start a movement, then all Bangladeshis could benefit. But if we fail, it is solely the failure of Change Bangladesh.

With that, I invite other constructive criticism and for you to sign the petition at  http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/accountable_democracy_bd/index.html.
If you'd like more information, please visit http://www.bd-democracy.org or contact me.

Regards,

- M. Raheem
New York





zubair.najib@statcan.ca wrote:

I am not sarcastic about the campaign. I am trying to be realistic.

 

Also many thanks to raise your concern that many of my writings are ambiguous and heard to understand.

When I have 5 minutes window during my work I write them in the forum.

 

Now what I mean this will not work.

First of all no political party will care even you collect 10,000 signatures.

Do you think current CTG has popularity because people trust them. I believe people mistrust our political party that is why CTG is more popular.

Will that make our political party to be democratic. No.

Let see how political party works. You have party leader who will remain as leader until his or her death. The party works like corporation and leader(CEO) transfer power to his/her direct descendant when the leader is unable to run the party. All the member in the party do not mass around the leader because they share same ideology, but they do that to gain influence and benefited monetarily. Do you think you can change that culture simply by collecting 10,000 signatures. And how you stop individual signing more than one time.

 

Now educate who. Those who do not like the current parties political culture will not like even you collect signature or not. It will have no effect in the mass.

To change mass you have to in the field and you must have weaponry. That is why I throw a solution. You know most of the voters are illiterate and they do not care who is in the winning side as long as they get something in their pocket for whom they are voting. Political party members collect these people, bring them to the booth and ask them to seal vote beside the party symbol. These so called party members switch side depend on who pay them more. Again cash and probably muscle are mightier even we like it or not.

 

I believe you live in fantasy world if you think you can change political culture by signing 10,000 signatures. It is not western democracy. I live in Canada and 10,000 signatures may have an impact. But not in Bangladesh. Also signatories already more educated to hate political cultures.

 

Now current EC can throw away party symbols and replace the ballot paper with candidate name and beside the name is the party name. Not abbreviated name but full name. For example X belongs to party Bangladesh Nationalistic Party. Then ballot paper will have X Bangladesh Nationalistic Party (not BNP) in the ballot paper. Now the party will start screaming because this may require not only paying cash to individual will not work. The individual must be educated enough to understand the name and the party name on the ballot paper. The political party can start literate masses to get vote. Why not. They have infustructure in place to do that. They know clearly who vote for them before. Now before sending them to booth the party knows only cash will not work, the party must properly educate them about Bangla alphabets.

 

Now let see who political party listen to. The guys who have cash and lots of cash. And who you think have cash. I do not have to say. And these criminals do not have cash in the bank. The cash either in the foreign bank or under soil hidden. And these cash must be in big note like TK 500. Now if CTG issues new TK 500, then the old 500 note has to be exchanged against new note. If the criminals want to validate these hidden cash they must bring it out. Mind it during election these illegal cash are thrown to masses to get votes or gather muscles.

 

Hope this removes the ambiguity.

 

Thanks

 

-----Original Message-----
From: alochona@yahoogroups.com [mailto:alochona@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Sonar Bangla
Sent: February 26, 2008 3:33 PM
To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] Launch of Global Campaign for Accountable Democracy in Bangladesh

Dear Mr. Najib:

 

First, this campaign is about personal gain as you have implied very sarcastically.

 

Second, this campaign is about education, including yourself.

 

Third, reaching out to the political parties is not our objective -- it's one of the strategies.

 

Finally, perhaps you should learn to write and think with more clarity as many of your written sentences are quite ambigous and heard to understand.

 

Masud

zubair.najib@statcan.ca wrote:

I do not what you gain by this.

&n! bsp;

Let see how things work in Bangladesh.

Most of the party knows where the votes are. The problem lies with political party symbols.

The voters mostly are illiterate and extremely poor. They are majority. If you have money (certainly corrupt money) you can buy these votes.

The people go to the booth and seal the symbol they are told to do.

 

We need to get rid of the symbols. If the political party wants vote then they have to spend some time make literate the voters and pay as you wish to vote against the candidate name. Hopefully this will improve our literacy rate. The people get more literate they can judge who to vote. In the long run our democracy may be benefited.

 

If I am the govt. I will issue new 500 TK note. I guarantee lots of cash are hidden by these criminals. I may be wrong but if you reissue new notes than hidden cash may be invalidated since no criminal wants to dis! close this when they try to exchange old cash with new notes.

 

Thanks

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: alochona@yahoogroups.com [mailto:alochona@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of M. M. Chowdhury (Mithu)
Sent: February 21, 2008 1:47 AM
To: khabor@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [ALOCHONA] Launch of Global Campaign for Accountable Democracy in Bangladesh

For Immediate Release

Change Bangladesh Launches Global Campaign for Accountable Democracy in Bangladesh

Little Rock, AR, February 21st, 2008 – Change Bangladesh is pleased to launch a global Campaign for Accountable Democracy in Bangladesh (CADB). The campaign will create a grassroots movement to compel the major political parties of Bangladesh to embrace and implement internal reforms towards democracy, accountability, zero tolerance for corruption and a law abiding political culture.

CADB plans to create the grassroots movement through the following strategies:
1.    Collect 10,000 signatures via an online petition by June 20008
2.    Educate and engage through online and offline media
3.    Partner with like-minded organizations to build momentum
4.    Present the petition for change to the major political parties of Bangladesh during summer 2008

The ca! mpaign for accountable democracy is being launched on historic February 21st, 2008 to mark the beginning of a new struggle. Just as February 21st, 1952 marked the beginning of the struggle for Bangladeshi nationalism, today marks a new struggle amongst all Bangladeshis to reclaim our nation and destiny from the slavery of corruption, political violence and kleptocracy.

Bangladesh today, is challenged with a rare opportunity to reform and rebuild its institutions of democracy, at the nucleus of which lies the political parties. Since there is no alternative to democratic governance, there is also no substitute to reforming the political parties for altruistic service to the teeming millions.

True democracy will not see the light of the day unless the politicians adhere to some fundamental rule of politics and governance.

•    Practice intra-party Democracy: Hold regular elections for grassroots and top level party leadership positions. Introduce term limits for party officials. Highly committed bright youngsters should be identified for future leadership positions.

•    Accountability: Elect, appoint and promote party leaders based on performance and meritocracy. Under performing party officials should be demoted or removed from party hierarchies.

•    Zero Tolerance for Corruption: There should be zero tolerance for corruption and unethical practices. "Politics of looting" has shamed us worldwide.

•    Adhering to the rule of law: Political parties' modus operandi must at all times be strictly followed. Reconciliation must replace confrontation with either rival political parties or the government. Political parties must stop illegal hartal, political violence, and boycott of parliamentary sessions as instruments of defiance and disagreement on issues of difference and discrepancy.

To  make your voice heard and to elicit change in the lives of 150 million people of Bangladesh - sign The Petition at:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/accountable_democracy_bd

or

http://www.bd-democracy.org 

For additional information on the Campaign for Accountable Democracy, contact Kawser Jamal or visit www.bd-democracy.org

Contact: Kawser Jamal    
Cell: 501-255-2814
Email: info@bd-democracy.org This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
www.bd-democracy.org
www.changebangladesh.org

 

Lets all work together for a better Bangladesh in the years to come. 

---

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