Deluge of despair inundates landscape of hopes
Promises/ Hopes – 01/11/07
Angst/ Despair – 01/11/08
Winch back derailed democracy
Generals in uniform define democracy. Center of state power has already been shifted to Cantonment. Army takeover is matter of time
A free and fair election in shortest possible time
No optimism of any election in 2008 or one without intervention of military
A perfect voter list
In progress but at a much slower pace than expected
Jihad against corruption
Conviction of Hasina on corruption charges is imminent.
End of publication of Janakantha is imminent.
No trial for Khaleda-Tareq as yet.
Saeed Eskander, brother of Khaleda and co-brother of General Masud, and his family have left country in broad day light.
Khoka, Mannan, ZI Khan, Saifur, Nizami, Mujahedi, Rezakul are not corrupt.
Brother of General MoeenU is the MD of army owned Trust Bank
Fakhruddin is having undisclosed properties and assets abroad.
Nasim, Zalil, Obaidul, Atikullah, Mahiuddins are the icons of corruption.
DUDAK (allegedly under total control of ISI) is using corruption as tool to eliminate secular, pro-71 politics and overall depoliticising the country and making inroad for military rule.
Restoration of Law and Order
Extra judicial killing in Government custody and in nefarious ‘crossfire’ by army/ RAB has been intensified. Coercing and torturing detainees are regularly practised while all the legal rights of individuals are cancelled under emergency rule.
Venerable teachers and students of the Universities are convicted for rally but no charge against Islamic fundamentalists for the rally.
Government overrides HC and SC order and keeps Babul in detention against law
Independent judiciary
Judiciary has been declared independent after ensuring total allegiance to the present quasi-military government. It still remains a Kangaroo court
Independent public media
Government has not only retracted from their commitment, under emergency act, they have clamped down censorship on privately owned electronic media and newspaper. The illegal detention of Atiqullah and Babul is to demoralize free press and publications.
Independent Election Commission
Election Commission has not been made independent as yet; it was a fundamental commitment of the Government though. EC is virtually a rubber stamp of the Generals. Their snail-speed progress compounded with new controversial decision of redefining constituency map declared by the army representative in the EC has given public enough reason to be sceptical about the roadmap to election 2008.
Public Perception:
- A free and fair election in 2008 is a forlorn dream. Web of terms and conditions of EC will make it impossible for political parties to participate in the election. As the only alternative, either, army will stage an election theatre with the help of BNP-Jamaat-YAK (Yunus-Amu-Kamal) clique and form a military government with civilian façade. Or, army will directly take over state power. In any event, USA will support army move as a step towards building democracy in Bangladesh.
- The life of Sheikh Hasina is at great risk in the prison and the highly probable tragedy will be, as usual, labelled as the work of a few so called wayward soldiers. With Sheikh Hasina, will disappear secular, progressive, pro-liberation politics and Bangladesh will be a perpetual virtual Pakistan.
- After myriad of sacrifices and arduous journey on the blood soaked path, democracy may come back to Bangladesh in a decade or so. Politicians may also get back to the power. Ascending the throne, instead of fighting and eliminating permanently the root cause of repeated failure of democracy, politicians will be busy forgiving and pampering this menacing liability of nation (military) again as our politicians never learn from their mistakes.
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