Meeting of the two political leaders
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Mohammad Ataul Hoque
With the sudden change in the national political scenario, there are suggestions for holding a meeting between the leaders of two "major" parties. But no one has specified anything about its agenda or its ultimate goal. These two women leaders have been at daggers drawn at each other for the last many, many years and even they did never come face to face, not to mention of talking to each other. Such was the rivalry or hatred between them ! So what will transpire in the meeting is anybody's guess, perhaps only abuses and counter abuses. Just take a simple instance; while AL said 'yes' to nearly all, BNP said 'no' to all in the recently promulgated RPO ! What we saw in the last parliament sessions, abuses and counter-abuses by the treasury and the opposition benches even in filthy languages right before the noses of those two leaders. So suddenly why is this initiative? Are they the only factors for determining the destiny of this nation? Do they have an "Aladin's lamp"?
It seems as if they have already won the election and, therefore, be given the "right" to decide the country's future. From the recent statement of AL General Secretary it appears they are willing to participate in election accepting the RPO, whereas BNP has taken an intransigent attitude, ignoring national interest, and put forward unreasonable demands for amendment of RPO. So what are the propagators of the 'meeting' aiming to achieve by arranging a farcical meeting ?
After one eleven, scores of instances came out of their misdeeds. But suddenly due to some magical treat, they are now dubbed as Heroes after coming out of jail ! Even the Advisors were seen visiting the house of one of them. Has the country become bankrupt of all educated, honest and capable persons to find a political direction for which we are now required to go back again to those failed party leaders ? It appears, some vested quarters inside and outside the Government are trying to rehabilitate someone for political benefit.
What was their contribution to the country during the last thirty five years when they were absolute undeclared 'Royal' authorities in this country, excepting instituting the rule of autocracy and anarchy under the disguise of democracy ? The nation is the silent witness to the total mismanagement and misrule of those political leaders which took the country almost to the brink of total destruction. Who were responsible for the circumstances warranting staging of the nine eleven episode and who will be responsible for the loss of two valuable years? It is difficult to perceive how by spending few months in jail for reasons of having various specific charges against them and now coming out on bail, they have now become "farista" (angels) to sit to decide on the future of this country, despite their utter failures in the past. Those who are masterminding such initiative are either gone out of their heads or living in fool's paradise that those persons who never thought of doing anything good for the country excepting party and family benefits would now change their metamorphosis overnight to bring solutions to the country's problems.
But none of those promoters of the proposed meeting has spelled out the nature of the issues for them to deliberate. After the announcement of the election date, there should not be any problem and the political parties should now come forward to seek people's verdict. It is the duty of the caretaker government (CTG) to ensure a free, fair and impartial election. Whatever the problems the country is facing today with regard to the issue of the holding of the election are the creation of those political parties headed by them. So what can one expect from them? After all, if they had the good intention, the initiative for dialogue should have come from them in the first instance. Not a single leader of those two political parties said "sorry" for their past misdeeds. In the recent meeting with the Election Commission (EC), one of those parties totally rejected the reform proposals suggested by the EC. They even misbehaved with the commission, befitting the personal behaviourial pattern of their secretary general! So how there can be progress. The party leaders must first decide to reform their own constitutions with a clear intention to help bring back an honest, patriotic and orderly democratic system in the country. What is preventing them from doing that? The people of this country never failed to give correct judgment when they were given the freedom to cast their vote in a free and fair environment. By promulgating the RPO which appears to be a reasonable and sensible document, the EC is exactly trying to set the process for the same.
Therefore, it is a foregone conclusion, these two failed leaders will never agree on anything on country's welfare and are not capable of delivering any thing better to the country. So why is clamouring for such a fruitless meeting which is doomed to be a failure? There is a well-known proverb in English language, "Charity begins at home" and that is what very much absent in the attitude of the major party leaders.
The writer can be reached at
e-mail: mahoque@ulc.com.bd
With the sudden change in the national political scenario, there are suggestions for holding a meeting between the leaders of two "major" parties. But no one has specified anything about its agenda or its ultimate goal. These two women leaders have been at daggers drawn at each other for the last many, many years and even they did never come face to face, not to mention of talking to each other. Such was the rivalry or hatred between them ! So what will transpire in the meeting is anybody's guess, perhaps only abuses and counter abuses. Just take a simple instance; while AL said 'yes' to nearly all, BNP said 'no' to all in the recently promulgated RPO ! What we saw in the last parliament sessions, abuses and counter-abuses by the treasury and the opposition benches even in filthy languages right before the noses of those two leaders. So suddenly why is this initiative? Are they the only factors for determining the destiny of this nation? Do they have an "Aladin's lamp"?
It seems as if they have already won the election and, therefore, be given the "right" to decide the country's future. From the recent statement of AL General Secretary it appears they are willing to participate in election accepting the RPO, whereas BNP has taken an intransigent attitude, ignoring national interest, and put forward unreasonable demands for amendment of RPO. So what are the propagators of the 'meeting' aiming to achieve by arranging a farcical meeting ?
After one eleven, scores of instances came out of their misdeeds. But suddenly due to some magical treat, they are now dubbed as Heroes after coming out of jail ! Even the Advisors were seen visiting the house of one of them. Has the country become bankrupt of all educated, honest and capable persons to find a political direction for which we are now required to go back again to those failed party leaders ? It appears, some vested quarters inside and outside the Government are trying to rehabilitate someone for political benefit.
What was their contribution to the country during the last thirty five years when they were absolute undeclared 'Royal' authorities in this country, excepting instituting the rule of autocracy and anarchy under the disguise of democracy ? The nation is the silent witness to the total mismanagement and misrule of those political leaders which took the country almost to the brink of total destruction. Who were responsible for the circumstances warranting staging of the nine eleven episode and who will be responsible for the loss of two valuable years? It is difficult to perceive how by spending few months in jail for reasons of having various specific charges against them and now coming out on bail, they have now become "farista" (angels) to sit to decide on the future of this country, despite their utter failures in the past. Those who are masterminding such initiative are either gone out of their heads or living in fool's paradise that those persons who never thought of doing anything good for the country excepting party and family benefits would now change their metamorphosis overnight to bring solutions to the country's problems.
But none of those promoters of the proposed meeting has spelled out the nature of the issues for them to deliberate. After the announcement of the election date, there should not be any problem and the political parties should now come forward to seek people's verdict. It is the duty of the caretaker government (CTG) to ensure a free, fair and impartial election. Whatever the problems the country is facing today with regard to the issue of the holding of the election are the creation of those political parties headed by them. So what can one expect from them? After all, if they had the good intention, the initiative for dialogue should have come from them in the first instance. Not a single leader of those two political parties said "sorry" for their past misdeeds. In the recent meeting with the Election Commission (EC), one of those parties totally rejected the reform proposals suggested by the EC. They even misbehaved with the commission, befitting the personal behaviourial pattern of their secretary general! So how there can be progress. The party leaders must first decide to reform their own constitutions with a clear intention to help bring back an honest, patriotic and orderly democratic system in the country. What is preventing them from doing that? The people of this country never failed to give correct judgment when they were given the freedom to cast their vote in a free and fair environment. By promulgating the RPO which appears to be a reasonable and sensible document, the EC is exactly trying to set the process for the same.
Therefore, it is a foregone conclusion, these two failed leaders will never agree on anything on country's welfare and are not capable of delivering any thing better to the country. So why is clamouring for such a fruitless meeting which is doomed to be a failure? There is a well-known proverb in English language, "Charity begins at home" and that is what very much absent in the attitude of the major party leaders.
The writer can be reached at
e-mail: mahoque@ulc.com.bd