Saga of the 'Shoirachar' and other issues
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Shamsher Chowdhury
Politics in Bangladesh stinks but what one can do except making politics one of their favourite past time. It is politics all the way. It is everywhere. The other day I came home from a visit downtown and found my wife intensely locked in conversation with one of her friends. I asked her as to what was the discussion all about? She promptly said: "Look here you would not understand it , it is family politics". Frankly we could do better if we could put to use our time to more productive purposes.
Everybody wants to be a politician as though there is no other worthwhile vocation in the country. There are teachers who are more of politicians than teachers, there are businessmen whose main vehicle of doing business is politics, there are bureaucrats who indulge in regular politics whether in or out of office, there are students who are more into politics than studies.
Yet there is at least one politician in the country who has always aroused my curiosity. I am sorry if some of my friends are upset due to my interest in this gentleman. Well, I was referring to none other than the Shoirachar (authuritarian ruler). This Shoirachar seems to be always around us and makes a glorious come back every now and then. Thanks to our political Gurus. The other day his name once again came up in connection with celebrating the anniversary of the fall of the Shoirachar. During the last days of his rule we witnessed volatile mass movements in which some innocents lives were lost Incidentally, this Shoiracher governed us for nearly ten years. It is my impression that the country was better managed and better governed during that period compared to any other regime. Talk of his rule being undemocratic and dictatorial? Tell me which of the governments to date in its management practices has adhered to democracy and democratic practices? As far as I am concerned all the other rulers have been no less dictatorial. It has along been empty rhetoric and nothing short of it.
There is no denying of the fact that during the regime of the Shoirachar our law and order situation countrywide was far better than it is today or any other time. On the other hand there were lesser incidents of harassing and bashing of opponents during his regime. There is yet another aspect of this Shoiracher that I find rather interesting and baffles me. Just consider this, today he and his party is a part and parcel of the present ruling party and the Mahajote, the very party that was instrumental in ousting him. I wonder he must have some capital qualities or else today how could he be "brushing his shoulders" with the very leader of the ruling party. I guess in politics Bangladesh style everything goes. They say that there is no last word in politics. I also do recognize that the Shoirachar had some serious failings in his personal character traits that were certainly unbecoming of a President, but be that as it may he ran this country credibly for the longest period of time compared to any other leader that governed us.
The Shoirachar is often accused of being the initiator of big time corruption but the fact remains that successive governments exceeded in corrupt practices far greater in all its dimensions; money, material and moral. Thus far, about the Shoirachar. In the meantime I keep wondering as to which rung of the moral and ethical downward swing we belong to?
There is so much talk of corruption these days that I have become weary of it all. More power to the ruling party for its commitment to "eradication" of corruption from the country. Despite all that clamouring, I am not very hopeful. First of all corruption is as old as the oldest profession of the world and one can only hope for and work towards containment only. Second just our judiciary it is being handled on a pick and chooses basis and pursued on political considerations alone. Third if there is a single corrupt element amongst the propagators it is bound to hit the snag. Finally it must be remembered that just like justice it must not be dealt with on a selective basis.
It is often argued that corruption is the biggest blockade to development. True as it may be but of greater importance is good governance by a government that is democratic, free, fair and transparent, a government that would look after the concerns and interests of the common man at all times. Effective tackling of corruption cannot take place without streamlining the present deplorable state of our service organisations like the Municipal corporations, the BRTA, the Department of Land Administration, the various intelligence agencies so on and so forth.
Despite vigorous denials and high propaganda exercises it must be said there is a general perception amongst majority of the country's population that the ruling party is engaged in looking after the interests of its powerful neighbour, all in the name of " maintaining good neighbourly relationship". On the other hand, I am doubtful about its competency of carrying out its management tasks effectively with a team consisting of so many incompetent non-professionals.
I wish this government well, but with its existing style of management I am doubtful about its success. It is more interested in gaining popularity through "exploiting" people's emotions and sentiments. Right now peoples' minds are weighed down with the stress and strain of day to day living, God forbid if the dam bursts and they take to the streets then there is no knowing as to what would happen!!
The writer can be reached at e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com
Politics in Bangladesh stinks but what one can do except making politics one of their favourite past time. It is politics all the way. It is everywhere. The other day I came home from a visit downtown and found my wife intensely locked in conversation with one of her friends. I asked her as to what was the discussion all about? She promptly said: "Look here you would not understand it , it is family politics". Frankly we could do better if we could put to use our time to more productive purposes.
Everybody wants to be a politician as though there is no other worthwhile vocation in the country. There are teachers who are more of politicians than teachers, there are businessmen whose main vehicle of doing business is politics, there are bureaucrats who indulge in regular politics whether in or out of office, there are students who are more into politics than studies.
Yet there is at least one politician in the country who has always aroused my curiosity. I am sorry if some of my friends are upset due to my interest in this gentleman. Well, I was referring to none other than the Shoirachar (authuritarian ruler). This Shoirachar seems to be always around us and makes a glorious come back every now and then. Thanks to our political Gurus. The other day his name once again came up in connection with celebrating the anniversary of the fall of the Shoirachar. During the last days of his rule we witnessed volatile mass movements in which some innocents lives were lost Incidentally, this Shoiracher governed us for nearly ten years. It is my impression that the country was better managed and better governed during that period compared to any other regime. Talk of his rule being undemocratic and dictatorial? Tell me which of the governments to date in its management practices has adhered to democracy and democratic practices? As far as I am concerned all the other rulers have been no less dictatorial. It has along been empty rhetoric and nothing short of it.
There is no denying of the fact that during the regime of the Shoirachar our law and order situation countrywide was far better than it is today or any other time. On the other hand there were lesser incidents of harassing and bashing of opponents during his regime. There is yet another aspect of this Shoiracher that I find rather interesting and baffles me. Just consider this, today he and his party is a part and parcel of the present ruling party and the Mahajote, the very party that was instrumental in ousting him. I wonder he must have some capital qualities or else today how could he be "brushing his shoulders" with the very leader of the ruling party. I guess in politics Bangladesh style everything goes. They say that there is no last word in politics. I also do recognize that the Shoirachar had some serious failings in his personal character traits that were certainly unbecoming of a President, but be that as it may he ran this country credibly for the longest period of time compared to any other leader that governed us.
The Shoirachar is often accused of being the initiator of big time corruption but the fact remains that successive governments exceeded in corrupt practices far greater in all its dimensions; money, material and moral. Thus far, about the Shoirachar. In the meantime I keep wondering as to which rung of the moral and ethical downward swing we belong to?
There is so much talk of corruption these days that I have become weary of it all. More power to the ruling party for its commitment to "eradication" of corruption from the country. Despite all that clamouring, I am not very hopeful. First of all corruption is as old as the oldest profession of the world and one can only hope for and work towards containment only. Second just our judiciary it is being handled on a pick and chooses basis and pursued on political considerations alone. Third if there is a single corrupt element amongst the propagators it is bound to hit the snag. Finally it must be remembered that just like justice it must not be dealt with on a selective basis.
It is often argued that corruption is the biggest blockade to development. True as it may be but of greater importance is good governance by a government that is democratic, free, fair and transparent, a government that would look after the concerns and interests of the common man at all times. Effective tackling of corruption cannot take place without streamlining the present deplorable state of our service organisations like the Municipal corporations, the BRTA, the Department of Land Administration, the various intelligence agencies so on and so forth.
Despite vigorous denials and high propaganda exercises it must be said there is a general perception amongst majority of the country's population that the ruling party is engaged in looking after the interests of its powerful neighbour, all in the name of " maintaining good neighbourly relationship". On the other hand, I am doubtful about its competency of carrying out its management tasks effectively with a team consisting of so many incompetent non-professionals.
I wish this government well, but with its existing style of management I am doubtful about its success. It is more interested in gaining popularity through "exploiting" people's emotions and sentiments. Right now peoples' minds are weighed down with the stress and strain of day to day living, God forbid if the dam bursts and they take to the streets then there is no knowing as to what would happen!!
The writer can be reached at e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com