Dialogue amid chaos and massacre and the people’s manifesto

As chaos and massacres overwhelm various parts of the country diplomats and peacekeepers are struggling to get a grip. The situation is catastrophic; there is no other word.

Reports of massacres on the night of May 6 in capital’s city centre at Shapla Chattar which followed the indiscriminate killing of hundreds of citizens during the previous months, have increased the panic. Diplomacy, hitherto fruitless, is intensifying. An emissary of the UN Secretary General recently visited Dhaka to urge restraint and sit around the table for a dialogue.

Diplomats of the United States, Canada and Europe have also called for talks between the two main political alliances contending for power. In the situation unfolding the government is behaving like the weather- cock turning its head into the wind like a rooster defying the danger signal of the impending storm which may cause devastations beyond repair. Power has gone into their head and they won’t listen. The opposition which kept itself out of the parliament for eighty-four out of hundred days has been fighting a grim battle to stay on course to stage a comeback. The only way they can achieve it is by an election held by a non-partisan caretaker government, and that is the last thing the present prime minister Sheikh Hasina would allow to happen.

She made her intentions clear saying, “I know how to be tough” and her Home Minister who once marketed “controlled democracy” of the Pakistani military junta quickly reacted by imposing a ban on public rallies and assemblies for a month. The attitude shows that the government is least interested to resolve the prevailing confrontational political deadlock.

Such instincts were once reinforced by Abigail, who wrote in 1775, “I am more and more convinced that man is a dangerous creature, and that power whether vested in many or few is ever grasping.” With the absolute majority in the parliament the ruling coalition has become increasingly highhanded with a ruthless appreciation of power that will give it an iron grip over the interim government.

This instinct will put the country’s political system, as well as its economy, to its most severe test since the years of its transition to democracy in 1991.

 At this point of time the only thing that matters to the politicians is the election. But elections are not just about who wins. They are about what happens when one or the other party wins. Our past experience tells us that nothing new is expected to happen.

All that will take place will be an endless repeat of the same share market scam, the same Padma Bridge scandal, the same Hallmark-type ugly episodes, the same 3,605 OSDs in the secretariat wasting 1500 million taka and the government’s flamboyant style of living on the poor tax payers’ hard earned money. The prime minister’s entertainment bill has been swollen 48 times while the budget deficit in the current fiscal year has risen to 520 billion taka. It will inflate to 750 billion in the upcoming budget. Foreign debt repayment bill will swell by about 50 percent in the next fiscal due the government’s reckless extravagance and growing dependence on hard term loans and supplier’s credit amid shrinking soft loans. The symptoms are a current account deficit which is the worst of all. During the last four years the ruling party activists have made their fortune forming the nucleus of the neo-rich class as owners of the new nine banks, get-rich-quick institutions and commercial enterprises.

Until recently many in this country were advocates of such a dialogue between the contenders of power and more particularly the two leaders who have rotated in power for over twenty years. They hoped that things were perfectible if they were guided by reason and rational thinking. But now they are all the more pessimistic because reasonableness and rationality have been found quickly overcome by a passion for more power, pride and conceit.

In the backdrop of these developments it is clear to us that what we need first is an internal dialogue of the politicians with their consuming ambitions. It is time we also have a “national dialogue “instead of bi-partisan to reach an agreement on the basic thoughts on state, government and citizenship.

A republic, not a monarchy is the best form of government but government works best when its powers are divided, kept separate, within a system of checks and balances, lest any group or persons succumb to selfishness and greed. At this critical time a controversial judgment signed by a retired Chief Justice, no longer under oath, decided the country’s form of government during transition and plunged the nation into the bloodletting and repression never experienced before. We need a system in which the Judiciary and the Parliament will not interfere in each other’s domain.

Our parliament which we call the National Assembly may be named the Rump Parliament of the 17th century England. The Rump sat high in its own estimation. Its members felt that the country would need their guidance for many long years. Lord General Cromwell found the pride, ambition and self- seeking of the MPs unacceptable. His outlook was clear and his language plain. “These men, “he said,” will never leave till the Army pull them down.” He accordingly went to the House on April 20, 1653, took his seat and listened to the debate and then rising in his seat, he made a speech, “Come, come,” he concluded, “I will put an end to your prating. You are no Parliament.” Then he cleared the House and locked the doors. Our members of parliament dwelling under the impression that this parliament’s long life has been forever established by the 15th Amendment and heedless of their lack of knowledge of the parliamentary norm and practice still remain obdurate. It is, therefore, all the more important that we have two Houses of the legislature, not one, and most critically an independent Judiciary to uphold a system of laws and not of men.

The “national dialogue” should lay the foundation of the authority of law, the security of life and property, the peace of our streets, and the happiness of our homes. We must recognize the historical fact that the state to which we belong existed in concrete form from 1202 when a Turkish General conquered it and established the Sultanate which continued in different forms up to 1757 when the Nawab’s realm comprising Bengal, Bihar and Orissa lost its independence. The sovereignty was re-established first in 1947 when we joined the Muslims of western India to form a new state. In 1971 we became a sovereign state separated from the western wing of Pakistan. Our state, therefore, existed all along by nature, having the same age old founding features and principles as the earlier associations from which it grew. It is, therefore, wrong to say that our state is guided only by the principles discovered in 1971.

A state is a compound made up of citizens. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The only title in our democracy superior to that of President [is] the title of citizen.” Citizenship is a privilege that offers one the opportunity to be part of the governing process. But our citizens are not treated with dignity and honour. Voting in the elections is the most important responsibility of the citizen. Voting ensures that our system of government is maintained and individual voices are clearly heard by elected officials. In every election in this country right to vote freely has been hampered by political interference with impunity. This must end now. In the United States, the Constitution guarantees that all persons accused of a crime have the right to a “speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.” Jury service gives the citizen the opportunity to participate in the vital task of achieving just, fair results in matters that come before the court. It is time we should consider to introduce the jury system.

Religion is the basis of civil society and the source of all good and all comfort . Speaking on religion Edmund Burke said,” We know and it is our pride to know, that man is by his constitution a religious animal; that atheism is against, not only our reason, but our instincts; and it cannot prevail long…” In Machiavelli’s ‘The Discourse‘ he said, …”And whoever reads Roman history attentively will see in how great a degree religion served in the command of the armies, in uniting the people and keeping them well conducted, and in covering the wicked with shame …In truth, there never was any remarkable lawgiver amongst any people who did not resort to divine authority..” It is essential that the national motto: “In Allah we trust” should be restored in our Constitution to have recourse to religion as the most necessary and assured support of our society. The minority communities in Bangladesh are exceptionally moderate and well integrated. They also have trust in God.

Regional and local self governments, everywhere in the world, are now responsible for schools, universities, health, social services, culture, urban and rural development and, in some places, policing. The system has reduced regional inequalities. In Spain, for example, the central government accounts for just 18 percent of public spending; the regional governments, municipal councils and social security system spend the rest. It’s time we have a dialogue on devolution and decentralization of power and resources to elected local governments is carried out.

At present people are powerless in preventing a government majority from pushing them to the wall and passing laws against their will. In ideal democracies voters have that right in what is called Referendum to approve or reject the work of the legislature except urgency statutes. Major enactments like the 15th Amendment may form the subject for referenda. In the United States, a process called “Initiative” provides the people a mechanism to propose statutory and constitutional amendments and to adopt or reject those proposals. Citizens can get petitions signed and then have a proposition placed on the ballot. If citizens say ‘yes’ it not only becomes law, it also becomes incorporated in the State’s constitution. Time has come when we should adopt the processes to curb legislative excesses.

Bangladesh Constitution provides for the appointment of an Ombudsman. In 1980 the Parliament framed an Act providing legal framework for that office. Concrete steps should be taken to establish the office now.

Such a citizen’s charter is needed for economic and social security, for social justice and human rights, for devolution of power and resources, for people’s participation in government and other bodies, for articulation of people’s ideas and for effective citizen action.

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[The writer was a Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2006]

Source: Weekly Holiday