Political Unrests will continue in Bangladesh
Two recent reports, one by the International Crisis Group, based in Brussels (published by The Bangladesh Today, 01 May 2008) and another by the London based Economic Intelligence Unit (lead news, The Bangladesh Today, 03 May 2008) reflect what the world thinks about what is happening in and to Bangladesh. Both of these reports forecast a period of considerable political and social uncertainty, unrest, even conflict throughout 2008 and 2009 because of rising food prices, lack of employment and income generation, overall poor economic performance and various actions of the Emergency Government with negative political, social and economic impacts. Anyone who reads these reports will have considerable cause for concern about the future both as an individual and as a conglomerate, not that the people are already not aware of what direction this unfortunate Country is heading to but being largely unempowered to do anything about it, the people are merely bearing with the situation. How did we come to this turn of events starting from such an optimistic and hopeful situation as the declaration of Emergency on 11 January 2007?
We came to our present sad turn of events almost from the day the Emergency was declared because the Emergency was not the outcome of a well thought out analysis leading to a well thought out strategy; the Emergency was the outcome of a decision by few, very few individuals within the Army supported by representatives of a couple of foreign powers based on such nebulous perceptions as "the corrupted politicians must be sorted out", "the politicians are leading the Country towards a civil war", "the derailed machinery of the State must be put on tracks" and "we need our own brand of democracy".
The Emergency immediately brought to the fore certain individuals, with diverse motives, backgrounds and predilections who were then "drafted" to form the Emergency Government headed by Dr.Fakhruddin Ahmed, a one time banker with little or no knowledge of what a State is and even lesser knowledge of how to run that State. The Army, with its rigid hierarchal structures and chains-of-command was custom made to "troubleshoot" any problems the Emergency Government might fall into. Gradually over a period of one year, the Army took control of everything, manipulating State institutions to interfere freely in politics, till the Emergency Government was shorn of every initiative, every vestige of authority to an extent where politicians are openly demanding a dialogue not with the Government per se but with the Army, the real power behind the government.
Meanwhile, as is usual in such circumstances, the Army has collected a swarm of hangers-on which include marginalized politicians, retired bureaucrats and Generals, intellectuals, media persons and members of the so-called civil society, all of whom now feel their positions as jeopardized if the Army simply returns to the barracks after having promised them so much. Therefore we are all back to the "pre-emergency, year 2006 situation" where the BNP Government existed only in name, with the real power lying with the "Hawa Bhaban" manipulating a monopoly of State power for personal ends. The parallel here is too good not to draw: the Emergency Government is a sham, with the real power lying with individuals within the Army, who are also manipulating a monopoly of State power for personal ends.
This Emergency Government is belying everything it has told us earlier: the anti-corruption drive is petering out; preparations for elections are nowhere in sight; the economy is shot to pieces; food is short and prices of commodities are beyond the reach of everyone except the rich and finally the political arena is as divisive and as confrontational as it ever was, with the Government, the Army and intelligence agencies sparing no efforts to add fuel to fire. If this Government fails, the consequences would be far worse than was apprehended before 11 January 2007 - we would quite simply be facing the disintegration of our State and consequent violence, conflict and chaos. If this Government and the Army which is controlling it, is assuming that the people of this Nation will pay any price, bear any hardship to avoid such a consequence, thus continuing to provide support to it, it a making a BIG mistake, a VERY BIG mistake.
http://www.thebangladeshtoday.com/editorial.htm
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