Legacy of sham democracy and misuse of human rights

'Is Bangladesh powerless to decide its future?  -- a theme that was tabled for discussions by one of the European non-governmental organisations (NGOs) during its recruitment process for a senior position for its Bangladesh office. Most of the prospective candidates disagreed with the proposition that the people of this land who had ousted the British and the Pakistani rulers, are capable of managing its own affairs properly. A Bangladeshi expatriate, however, noted that in the absence of leadership with wisdom and patriotism -- the latter qualities being demonstrated now in words during the deliberations in Jatiya Sangsad (JS), TV talk-shows or on selected occasions, things would not move in the right direction in this country. Our leadership believe everything is fair in politics and as such, they like quantity, instead of quality, and quota, in place of meritocracy, so that talent does not flourish as the game was earlier played by the colonial rulers.
The treasury bench (TB) in the JS, with the support of bureaucracy, always keep on lingering things and is found to be too hungry to hold onto power by any means to facilitate misuse and abuse of public resources, while remaining beyond and above laws. The practice has thus manifestly been in favour of politicisation of everything to crush any voice of dissent. This is one of the major cause for destabilisation of the democratic process. Democracy can not be strengthened, in its true essence, without effective participation of the opposition in the JS. Besides, intolerance and greed on the part of those who are in positions to call the shots from the political power matrix, provide very little scope to the opposition to co-exist or 'to agree to disagree'. Such a situation tends to make it possible for abuse or misuse of fundamental human rights.
The ruling party in the political power matrix during any given period of time tries to consolidate its hold on vital institutions. Academic environment and administration are, thus, also vitiated by partisan politics. As such, autocratic or authoritarian pattern of governance rules the roost, in place of rule of law and good governance under a democratic grab.
At several times, the Constitution has been changed or amended to serve the ruling authorities, not sparing even the periods under parliamentary democracy. Besides, the common people become helpless while the real intellectuals and professionals do not dare to speak out the truth. Rather, many of them prefer to remain close to the ruling authorities for personal gains. The ruling party has thus been found even to 'manage' judgment by the judiciary in no time, while the citizens are to run after it in Dhaka, years after years in many cases, to seek redress to their problems.
It is indeed a sordid state of affairs when people's sufferings remain unattended to, by the political leaders who are also exempted from all any possible scope, now or in the future, for starting judicial proceedings on charge of corruption, under an indemnity that has been endorsed by the Parliament.
Here, the background and history of quite a good number of so-called leaders are not unknown to most senior citizens. But all concerned seem to be unruffled by the facts about their accumulation or amassing of wealth in too short a period, mostly by unfair means. We need to review the performances of many such get-rich-quick-type of so-called leaders and functionaries of political parties. It is not only unfortunate but also too painful to judge that our leadership is lacking in credibility and wisdom for making the sacrifice in the larger interests of the people at large that we like to see them do. Unfortunately, they remain unrelenting on pursuing, what can partly be likened to that of colonial powers and dictators who deprived us of a democratic process, while flouting at ease fundamental human rights. In this case, the colonial rule and domination seem to have simply been replaced.
 The wisdom of Dr. Mahather, the maker of modern Malaysia, can be cited here. He restored financial stability with social justice there. Likewise, Mr.Nelsen Mandela ensured vital reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa for its people. Unfortunately in Bangladesh, lies and disunity, conspiracy, corruption, crime, conflict, controversy and terrorism are on an unabated rise. Its key actors in the polity have been demonstrating hatred, provocation, revenge and counter-revenge. Speaking the truth by anyone has tended to become too risky or humiliating under the given circumstances.   
The people now are in no mood to bear any long with the black days of undemocratic norms that has encouraged the culture or practice of kidnappings or abductions and extra-judicial killings. Detention without trial, death under custody, starting false cases against opponents that is followed by arrest and torture under remand etc., have, thus, become the norms. This must not be allowed to continue. Otherwise, the prevailing a situation will lead to ours being branded as being incapable of ruling ourselves in accordance with standards norms that are globally practised.
If wisdom prevails among our leadership, then the provision for putting in place a proper system of governance particularly during the election time and having a set of clear terms of reference (ToR), should be part and parcel of our Constitution. This would call for review of checks and balances to help resolve any impasse. The credibility of the electoral process is the prime area of concern to the common people so that they can see better days ahead, where efforts will unfailingly be taken for institutionalising democracy, more in substance than in form. Since terrorism, corruption and abuses of human rights continue to be the facts of life in our country since long, its people are unfortunately not yet able to see any ray of hope to enjoy a democratic environment or to live under standard conditions for ensuring rule of law.  
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