Bring back democracy

There is no denying that we do not have a functional democratic dispensation in place in Bangladesh now, nor was it ever there before, except for a brief spell during the first three years of our journey as a sovereign nation. I know many an eyebrow would be raised at my saying so. But it is a fact that democracy has not been allowed to strike roots in any sphere of our national life, thanks to our politicians. In fact, the true meaning of democracy is perhaps not known to many of these power-hungry politicians.

Democracy means rule of law, meaning, thereby, that law does not discriminate between the haves and the have-nots, the ruling class and the ruled, the elites and the ordinary people. Democracy means transparency and accountability in the system of governance. Democracy means freedom of expression of the people, the press, and the media. Democracy means that there would be an opposition in the parliament to guide and criticise the government objectively.

Democracy means rule by mandate of the people expressed through free, fair, credible, and participatory elections. In a democracy, state institutions — the police, the bureaucracy, the public service commission, the Election Commission, and the judiciary — are allowed to function and play their constitutional role without any interference from the government.

Democracy is all about change and new blood being brought about in the leadership of political parties and the government. There must be a constant endeavour to further improve and broaden the system of governance with the ultimate objective of doing the maximum good for the maximum number of people. To this end, dynastic rule and holding on to power at the highest level by one individual for years together at any stage of our society are in direct conflict with democracy.

Hence the constitutional bars for the chief executive of a state to hold office beyond a certain limit in many democracies including the USA and France.

Whenever power is concentrated to one person without sufficient checks and balances, as it often is in authoritarian rule, corruption, nepotism, toadyism, and crime flourish with state connivance, and eat into the vitals of a nation including economy and social equanimity, as it has done in our case.

In advanced and educated societies across the world, democratic norms have evolved over the years. In countries like ours, suffering from the curse of colonial rule, poverty, and illiteracy, we need to put in place democratic reforms through legislation to guide and control our democratic norms and behaviour. If we do not do this, there will always be cracks in our national unity and there will be no end to our political turmoil.

In good faith, I am putting forward the following suggestions for democratic reforms through constitutional amendments:

• Nobody can be prime minister and president of Bangladesh for more than a maximum of two terms.
• Nobody will be entitled to contest for the post of president or chairman of a political party for more than a maximum of two terms in life.
• Nobody against whom there is a persistent allegation of bank loan default and a court case of corruption, murder, illegal and forcible occupation of public and private property, smuggling, or black marketing shall be eligible for contesting in elections for the parliament, the city corporation, the upazila, and union parishad.
• Nobody can be a member of parliament and run a business of profit at the same time. He or she will have to disassociate himself or herself from any business of profit or business organisation. Anyone failing to do so will cease to be a member of parliament.
• Nobody will be eligible for contesting elections for the parliament and the city corporation if he or she is not a tax-payer.
• Nobody with foreign citizenship and family domiciled abroad will be entitled to contest in elections for the parliament.
• There shall be no unelected person under any name drawing pay and allowances and enjoying perks and privileges of a cabinet minister.
• A member of parliament will not be eligible for drawing pay, allowances etc for the day and days he or she absents himself or herself from the parliament session without permission of the speaker.
• A member of parliament shall vacate his or her seat if he or she is absent from a parliament session without permission of the speaker for thirty sitting days, consecutive or otherwise.
• Leader of the opposition and the opposition party as such in the parliament will lose their status respectively immediately as soon as any MP of the opposition party joins the government as a cabinet minister or in any other capacity.