Government move: What do we make of it?
Mohammad Ali Sattar | Wednesday, 25 June 2008
WEEK ending on June 12 last was eventful in that it featured the much talked about release of Sk. Hasina. It did, albeit for a short while, capture the attention of those who distance themselves from politics. The press was awash with news and snippets about her pre- and post-release situations.
Many big fat eyebrows were raised about the rationale behind the extra enthusiasm and protocol practice following her release. A good many thinker while appreciating the government move of setting Hasina free keeping the legal cover intact, have expressed serious reservation about the meekness of the government when it decided to hold the meeting with Hasina at her residence instead of at the Chief Adviser's office.
If this is considered as a part of the dialogue with political parties, this again should have been held at the government office, not Sudha Sadan. In fact, the dialogue with Awami League was yet to start. The AL team for the dialogue was formed later.
There could be a graceful answer with the government, had Hasina and her team members travelled to the CA's office to meet him. It really seemed out of the world when she spoke to the CA over the phone. Who was pleasing whom? We don't know.
That was in Dhaka. She flew for London and the USA the next morning.
More astounding was her reception at the Heathrow and later at the US airport. The Awami League supporters would naturally rejoice and treat this as a great moment meeting the 'freed' leader. According to reports, officials from the Bangladesh High Commission in the UK and Bangladesh embassy in Washington also met her at the airport. This has raised serious questions about the intention of the government.
The lopsided victory of the Awami League ( for Sheikh Hasina in particular) seemingly provided her a mandate to ram through her plans to get back on to regular business of planning the election with like minded parties and individuals.
It was generous on the part of the government to comply with the needs of the hour. To many the 'strongman' image of the government has been compromised. The air of invincibility is gone. The hard-charging administrative style has also undergone sudden changes. There has been a definite shift in policy. Shifting and conditional issues are gaining prominence. Only a few weeks back, it was difficult to imagine the present scenario.
A senior journalist quipped; it's coming back to square two, (not one).
The politicians have so far found themselves in defensive position. For more than a year, the corrupt people were in the back foot. The reformists have also not been spared.
Stalwarts like Jamaat chief Maulana Nizami, Mannan Bhuiyan and Shamsul Islam of BNP reformists were interned after everyone started believing the storm had finally passed. This entire period was of speculation and loud whispers. Talks of reforms hung in the air. If not anything, the minds were certainly undergoing a transition.
Despite initial victory the present government found the going tough. It had to define and redefine its nature many times. The constitutional character was also questioned. However, tough it did get over the crises.
The politicians have lately started flexing their political muscles. They are being backed by foreign friends. They are vigorously demanding the civil rights. They are shouting for the messy democracy that they so long practised.
The release of Sheikh Hasina may be interpreted in two different ways by two different quarters- either it is an easy side backwards or this could be a dawn of new politics (of peace). There is no middle path here. What would the skeptics say?
(The writer is a broadcaster and
journalist
Many big fat eyebrows were raised about the rationale behind the extra enthusiasm and protocol practice following her release. A good many thinker while appreciating the government move of setting Hasina free keeping the legal cover intact, have expressed serious reservation about the meekness of the government when it decided to hold the meeting with Hasina at her residence instead of at the Chief Adviser's office.
If this is considered as a part of the dialogue with political parties, this again should have been held at the government office, not Sudha Sadan. In fact, the dialogue with Awami League was yet to start. The AL team for the dialogue was formed later.
There could be a graceful answer with the government, had Hasina and her team members travelled to the CA's office to meet him. It really seemed out of the world when she spoke to the CA over the phone. Who was pleasing whom? We don't know.
That was in Dhaka. She flew for London and the USA the next morning.
More astounding was her reception at the Heathrow and later at the US airport. The Awami League supporters would naturally rejoice and treat this as a great moment meeting the 'freed' leader. According to reports, officials from the Bangladesh High Commission in the UK and Bangladesh embassy in Washington also met her at the airport. This has raised serious questions about the intention of the government.
The lopsided victory of the Awami League ( for Sheikh Hasina in particular) seemingly provided her a mandate to ram through her plans to get back on to regular business of planning the election with like minded parties and individuals.
It was generous on the part of the government to comply with the needs of the hour. To many the 'strongman' image of the government has been compromised. The air of invincibility is gone. The hard-charging administrative style has also undergone sudden changes. There has been a definite shift in policy. Shifting and conditional issues are gaining prominence. Only a few weeks back, it was difficult to imagine the present scenario.
A senior journalist quipped; it's coming back to square two, (not one).
The politicians have so far found themselves in defensive position. For more than a year, the corrupt people were in the back foot. The reformists have also not been spared.
Stalwarts like Jamaat chief Maulana Nizami, Mannan Bhuiyan and Shamsul Islam of BNP reformists were interned after everyone started believing the storm had finally passed. This entire period was of speculation and loud whispers. Talks of reforms hung in the air. If not anything, the minds were certainly undergoing a transition.
Despite initial victory the present government found the going tough. It had to define and redefine its nature many times. The constitutional character was also questioned. However, tough it did get over the crises.
The politicians have lately started flexing their political muscles. They are being backed by foreign friends. They are vigorously demanding the civil rights. They are shouting for the messy democracy that they so long practised.
The release of Sheikh Hasina may be interpreted in two different ways by two different quarters- either it is an easy side backwards or this could be a dawn of new politics (of peace). There is no middle path here. What would the skeptics say?
(The writer is a broadcaster and
journalist